Turin:Azerbaijan’s gastronomic tourism potential was showcased at the ‘Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026’ international gastronomy festival in Turin, Italy.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the festival, themed “Biodiversity – Be Diversity,” featured a national stand titled ‘Azerbaijan Biodiversity, Heritage and Taste,’ organized by the State Tourism Agency. This stand highlighted the country’s gastronomic heritage, local biodiversity, traditional food products, and small-scale producers.
Representatives from the State Tourism Agency and the National Culinary Center presented the Greater Caucasus ‘Slow Food Travel’ route and discussed the ‘Slow Food’ approach to gastronomic tourism in Azerbaijan. Efforts to preserve local biodiversity and promote traditional products were also emphasized.
The national stand included regional products such as heirloom hazelnuts, honey, tea, local rice and wheat varieties, jams, pickles, and ‘Ark of Taste’ products. Master chef Kanan Balashov demonstrated traditional cooking methods, while local chefs and farmers provided modern dishes and traditional Azerbaijani sweets like qovut, shekerbura, pakhlava, and various types of halva.
Azerbaijan’s beekeeping traditions and honey varieties were featured in the ‘Azerbaijan Flavored with Honey’ workshop. Pastry chef Betl Huseynli showcased traditional halva made from Gara Gilchig wheat, another ‘Ark of Taste’ product.
‘Terra Madre Salone del Gusto’ is a major international event of the ‘Slow Food’ movement, focusing on protecting biodiversity and local food heritage, promoting sustainable food systems, supporting small-scale producers, and facilitating knowledge exchange globally.