Cappadocia University organizes the Cappadocia Gastronomy Festival every May to promote the region’s local culinary culture, disseminate the concept of sustainable food, and bring the area’s gastronomic potential into an academic framework for public engagement. Through these festivals, the university connects its expertise in gastronomy and culinary arts with the public, local producers, and local administrations, contributing to the preservation, continuation, and integration of local culinary knowledge into tourism-driven development.
The first festival, held on May 16–17, 2022 under the theme “A Different Cappadocia,” showcased Cappadocia’s traditional dishes within the cultural setting of the village of Mustafapaşa. Organized under the auspices of the Governorship of Nevşehir and hosted by Cappadocia University, the event allowed participants to explore local flavors and recipes with invited chefs and gastronomy professionals in Mustafapaşa, recognized by UNWTO as one of the world’s best tourism villages, and experience the region’s culinary culture in its natural and historical context.
Within the scope of the Cappadocia Gastronomy Festival, on May 25–26, 2023, a Panel and Workshop on Developing Local and Sustainable Gastronomy was held with national and international participation, under the theme of local and sustainable gastronomy. Conducted during Turkish Cuisine Week, the event brought together gastronomy researchers, agricultural and tourism entrepreneurs, public officials, and leading figures from the Slow Food network to exchange ideas and develop a roadmap guiding Turkey’s gastronomy policies. Topics such as food safety, carbon footprint, biodiversity, traditional production, and rural employment were discussed alongside the multi-layered cultural, environmental, and societal impacts of food.
The festival held on May 5–6, 2024, highlighted the theme “Spring Tables in Cappadocia.” Participants experienced seasonal and local products interpreted through traditional recipes during lunches prepared with students from the Cappadocia University Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. Guided tours, folk dances, and musical performances in Mustafapaşa framed the festival as not only a gastronomic event but also a cultural experience. The celebrations included Hıdırellez programs marking the arrival of spring and were enriched with culinary and musical events across different university campuses. On the second day, an academic seminar explored Hıdırellez traditions in Anatolia and the Balkans, complemented by cultural tours to Cemil Village, Keşlik Monastery, and Saint George Church.
The 2025 festival was organized from May 21–25 as part of Turkish Cuisine Week and gained an international dimension with the opening of the Cappadocia Earth Market. Emphasizing traditional cooking methods, the use of local products, and zero-waste kitchen principles, the event brought together Cappadocia University’s sustainable gastronomy practices and the Slow Food philosophy. With the establishment of the Earth Market, the university became not only an academic actor but also a representative of a holistic development model that supports producers, preserves cultural heritage, and contributes to the local economy.
