The article by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Doğan, Deputy Dean of Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) and academic member of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, was published in Hotel Restaurant & Hi-Tech Magazine. The article appeared in the March issue of the magazine with the title "Tuğrul Şavkay (1951-2003) The Great Master of Turkish Gastronomy". The text of the relevant article is given below.
In my last two articles, I talked about French gastronomes and chefs Escoffier and Carême, who made great contributions to the field of gastronomy and transformed the food and beverage industry. The subject of this article will be Tuğrul Şavkay, one of Turkey's leading and most important gastronomes. The most important reasons why I chose Şavkay are the lack of awareness of its contributions to Turkish gastronomy and the fact that the path and process opened by it are not carried out in a healthy way.
Meeting the Kitchen
Tuğrul Şavkay explains that his first encounter with the kitchen was during his university years, and that he started working in the dishwasher, according to the rules of those years. In his early youth, he worked as a dishwasher in the kitchen of the Kervansaray Hotel. Later, he worked as a cook, food and beverage manager and consultant in many famous hotels and restaurants. From what I have told you, you will see that Tuğrul Şavkay draws a standard chef profile.
In fact, what made him different was his intellectual equipment. Şavkay had knowledge in many fields, from sociology to history, political science, literature, humor, architecture and music. Despite all this experience, he had not lost any of his modesty and sincerity.
Şavkay studied sociology at the University of Graz in Austria and Boğaziçi University, and even completed his master's and doctorate at the same university. Şavkay said in an interview, “I was 35 years old when I finished school. If I had gritted my teeth, I would have retired from being a student." he said. Şavkay has never left the food and beverage industry, nor has he ever left academia. He pioneered and was among the founders of the first Gastronomy and Culinary Arts department in Turkey, which did not exist or was very few in universities around the world. In this context, Mr. Şavkay has a special place among Gastronomy Academics.
Food Culture Writing
During his youth, Şavkay was working as a research assistant at the university and, on the other hand, continuing to work as a cook in the food and beverage industry. However, it was very difficult to carry out both professions together, which required a lot of effort and overtime. Therefore he had to make a decision. He will either continue his academic career or his passion for cooking. This dilemma ended with an offer that will make you smile. At that time, a publisher told him that he was going to publish a food magazine and that he should be the head of it. In this way, he would not have left both of his beloved areas. Food was Şavkay's subject, but writing it was a completely different thing. After some hesitation, he accepted food writing. Thus, Şavkay, who left active cooking, was both publishing a food magazine and writing on the side. However, his happiness did not last long. When he went to the military at the age of 32, the publisher closed his food magazine and took a break from writing for a long time. Afterwards, he continued to write articles about food in different magazines and newspapers.
In 1985, when Şavkay started writing about food, there were neither food magazines nor proper food articles in newspapers. He was one of the pioneers of food writing in Turkey. In those years, restaurant reviews began to be added alongside food articles. Şavkay said the following about this issue in an interview.
“I was following all the reactions to the newspaper closely because they came directly to me. When there was great interest, they decided to continue."
Şavkay as a Gourmet
Şavkay has become one of the best gourmets in Turkey. According to him, being a gourmet is not just about knowing the taste of your mouth. Being a gourmet requires being aware of world tastes as well as one's own food culture, pursuing flavors that are about to be forgotten in one's own geography or in another part of the world, and tracking the unknown. In this context, Şavkay has always followed the great masters, accessed rare dishes, got to know and introduced them in depth, and consumed them with pleasure.
Ottoman Cuisine Book
One of Şavkay's most important works is the book Ottoman Cuisine. I think there will be many historians who claim that there was no subject of philosophy in the Ottoman Empire. Şavkay has indirectly refuted this thesis with his book. Because he revealed the philosophy of Ottoman cuisine in his book. Using food as a tool, he revealed the social life of the period, its political connections and the philosophical perspectives of Ottoman cuisine.
Suggestions from Şavkay to Young Chefs
When Tuğrul Şavkay's writings and books are examined, what a good chef should be is described and advice is given. To briefly summarize his recommendations: A quality chef must be a good researcher and know the cuisine very well. One should never break away from there and be very patient. Turkish cuisine should be transformed again by chefs. In order for Turkish cuisine to compete with French or Chinese cuisine, its flaws must be understood and corrected as soon as possible. Some of these flaws are; Meat and vegetables are cooked too much, too much oil is used, and the sugar content is too high. In addition, in order for Turkish cuisine to be accepted by the world, standardization is required, however, it already contains all valid and necessary standards.
Last word
Our famous gourmets should not be angry with me. The most important feature that distinguishes Tuğrul Şavkay from others is that he is a food expert, writer, critic and authority, as well as a chef who has worked at all levels of the kitchen. He passed away in 2003, having fit into his short life, including teaching at the academy, teaching in cooking courses, hundreds of consultancies, articles about food in magazines and newspapers, encyclopedias, articles and television programs, and leaving his mark on Turkish gastronomy. The healthy implementation of the Renaissance (Rebirth) path opened by Şavkay in gastronomy requires chefs to develop intellectual skills in the field of social sciences as well as their culinary skills.
Stay healthy and well…
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Doğan
