STORY: Culinary delights add to allure of Türkiye's Black Sea region for tourists
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 7, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 18, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:04
LOCATION: Istanbul, Türkiye
CATEGORY: TOURISM/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of city views in Trabzon
2. various of Ahmet Serdar making Kuymak
3. various of city views in Trabzon
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): AHMET METIN GENC, Trabzon Mayor
5. various of Akcaabat meatballs cooked on the grill
6. various of Ahmet Serdar working in the kitchen 
7. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): AHMET SERDAR, Chef
8. various of Ahmet Serdar working in the kitchen

STORYLINE:

With the aroma of a golden mixture of sizzling butter, cornmeal, skim milk, and creamy Golot cheeses filling the air, Kuymak, a traditional dish popular in Türkiye's Trabzon, offers tourists an authentic taste of Black Sea flavors.

Trabzon, a port city in northeastern Türkiye, boasts rich cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. 

Gastronomy has played a vital role in boosting the city's tourism, Trabzon Mayor Ahmet Metin Genc told Xinhua.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): AHMET METIN GENC, Trabzon Mayor 
"Trabzon has a rich cuisine. As a city located by the sea, we have unique local products and a cuisine that is specific to us, related to gastronomy."

Ahmet Serdar, a chef in Trabzon, highlighted the significance of featuring local specialties, such as the renowned Akcaabat meatball. 

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): AHMET SERDAR, Chef 
"Our local butter is very important, and we make it using local cornmeal. We truly source these ingredients from the villages to create our products. Our cheese is very special. It is a product unique to the region."

Culinary tourism is steadily growing in Türkiye. Trabzon alone attracted 1.23 million tourists in the first 10 months of 2024, becoming the region's most popular destination for visitors, according to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)