At the heart of the diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey, arising out of the tragic May 31 commando raid on an aid flotilla steaming towards Gaza, lies the rise of the previously obscure IHH, the Turkish Islamic non-governmental organization that spearheaded the convoy.
Relations between Turkey and Israel – until recent years close allies – are fraying amid the fallout from Israel’s commando raid on the Turkish-led Gaza aid flotilla.
From Istanbul Eats, a report on a Turkish culinary invasion into Europe. From the report:
On Monday, the Hurriyet Daily News published a report on the latest turn in Turkish-EU relations.
Yavuz Iskederoglu, the Iskender kebab king of Bursa, announced his plans to set up facilities in Latvia for the production of kebab to be sent all over Europe.
Holding the trademark on Iskender kebab, a Turkish standard dish of doner served in a tomato sauce over chopped pide bread, Iskenderoglu told the HDN that the time was right to expand into Europe.
Considering the popularity of Turkish doner, Germany’s favorite fast food, we suspect Iskenderolgu might be onto something.
Those who believe oil and gas are Azerbaijan's only exports might have to start thinking again. Via the Morning Advertiser, which covers "the pub trade," news has arrived of the arrival in England of the a new Azeri export product: Jala Super Juice.
Jala Super Juice has become the first Azeri food and drink brand to be launched in the UK, as the country begins a major push to increase food and drink exports. The country, located between Western Asia and Eastern Europe, is best known for its oil and gas rich lands, but it also has a long history of cultivating pomegranates. Jala, which is made from pomegranate concentrate, comes in three pomegranate blended flavours: raspberry, orange and strawberry. “It’s great to be the first Azeri brand to break into the UK market. We are confident the Jala Super Juice range has the authenticity, provenance and quality needed to ensure success in the highly competitive sector,” said Bill Sedat, marketing manager for Azerbaijan Juices.
Istanbul Eats has wrapped up its second photo competition, which focussed on images of food makers in Turkey and in other parts of the world. You can take a look at the winning shots here.
In the backstreets of Istanbul’s Tahtakale neighborhood, a bazaar district filled with shops selling cheap cell phones and computer accessories, street vendors have for years been making a living selling counterfeit prescription drugs, Viagra in particular.
It’s a deal that has the potential to win its brokers a Nobel Peace Prize. Or it could ultimately be remembered as an exercise in appeasement. What’s already certain, though, is the May 17 announcement that Iran is willing to ship the bulk of its enriched uranium to Turkey has instantly become an important milestone in the long-running controversy over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Those of you in Seoul, South Korea hankering for a heaping platter of plov are in luck. Turns out the South Korean capital has its own Little Uzbekistan, a back alley neighborhood with not one, but two Uzbek restaurants.
A reporter from the English-language JoongAng Daily recently made it there and filed a report, which can be found here.
Although I try to keep up with the news over at the online trade publication Meat Trade News Daily, this bit of news from April 24 seemed to pass me by.
Turns out Russian food engineers have figured out how to grow caviar producing sturgeon in South America, which they hope will help alleviate the problems the endangered fish is facing in the Caspian region. From MTND's report, which gives new meaning to the term "flying fish roe":
Argentina plans to open a Russian-sponsored sturgeon farm to produce black caviar within the next two weeks, according to a press statement released this week by the Argentine province La Rioja.
Within the next 15 days, Russia will send sturgeon roe to the north western Argentine province, where they will hatch the smolt, grow the fish to the desired size, and after eight years will harvest some 10 tons of black caviar annually.
The province's governor, Luis Beder Herrera, and a representative of the Russian company, Facundo Fredes, signed on Tuesday a 15-year concession agreement to develop the enterprise in the village of Anillaco.
“There are excellent climactic conditions here for raising sturgeon which has been supported by laboratory analyses,” the head of the provincial environmental service, Nito Brizuela, said.
Argentina's sturgeon farm for producing Russian black caviar will be the second in South America. The first joint-venture farm was established 10 years ago in Baigorria, Uruguay, on the Rio Negro River.
Scientists from the Russian region of Astrakhan helped the Uruguayans establish that farm. They sell their local black caviar in the United States and Argentina for around 3,000 USD per kilogram.
