🌿International Cooking: Türkiye

Türkish Wild Winter Greens - Seasonal Cooking from the Mediterranean

In parts of Türkiye, wild herbs and seasonal greens are so treasured there are entire festivals dedicated to celebrating them. Inspired by the renowned Alaçatı Herb Festival in İzmir, Türkiye and the Mediterranean tradition of transforming abundant edible leaves into deeply nourishing meals, this session explores how winter greens in Aotearoa such as nettle, cleavers, pūhā, chickweed, and kōkihi/wild spinach can be turned into delicious, low cost, nutrient rich dishes.

The Alaçatı Herb Festival celebrates recipes passed down through generations, the wisdom of those who work the land, and the abundance each season provides. These values resonate strongly in Aotearoa, where food traditions, seasonal harvesting, and caring for the whenua continue to connect people to place and community.

Together we'll create traditional Turkish-inspired recipes including Wild Green Börek (Turkish pastry made from scratch), Forager's Köfte (savoury patties), and Herbed Pilaf on a Bed of Swiss Chard.

This class is a celebration of foraging, seasonal wisdom, cultural storytelling, and practical cooking. By bringing together Turkish culinary traditions and the abundance of local winter greens, we'll explore how humble plants can be transformed into deeply nourishing and flavourful meals while strengthening our connection to the land and the communities that sustain us.

About the facilitator:
Originally from a farming village in the Black Sea region of Türkiye, Merve Yeşilkır grew up learning traditional food growing, foraging, and seasonal cooking practices from her mother and community. Now the Centre Coordinator at Whāingaroa Environment Centre, Merve is a trained permaculture practitioner, and has a Kai Oranga certificate grounded in Hua Parakore principles. Drawing on both ancestral knowledge and ecological principles, she shares practical skills for making the most of local, seasonal abundance.

*Photo of Cappadocia, Türkiye