Gastronomy Students Discovered Sındırgı's Traditional Falovers Up Close
Students from the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Balıkesir University Burhaniye School of Applied Sciences explored the local flavors of the Sındırgı district during an educational field trip.
Accompanied by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Oğuzhan İlban, Director of the School and Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, the students toured various tourism sites in the region. They were joined by Sındırgı Mayor Ekrem Yavaş, who introduced them to the traditional dishes of the district and explained the processes from preparation to cooking.
The students also visited the recently established geothermal vegetable and fruit drying facility, where they received detailed information from the facility’s officials about its operations.
Speaking to reporters, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Oğuzhan İlban stated that this was the first year the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts admitted students. He emphasized the importance of experiential learning for gastronomy students, saying:
“It is extremely important for students to discover the essence of each product by learning the key aspects of food and beverages on site. For this reason, we support our students with such technical trips, helping them broaden their general knowledge before moving on to practical applications.”
Mayor Ekrem Yavaş highlighted that Sındırgı is rich in natural and local products. He noted that the students had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field:
“Some of them rolled dough, some kneaded it, and they practiced preparing traditional products unique to the village of Pürsünler. They also visited our tourism site, the Akpınar Life Center. I believe this trip gave great joy to our students, and I hope they will continue to apply what they observed here in their coursework. We are very pleased to host them.”
Student Şevki Samet Yılmaz expressed his happiness about visiting Sındırgı, stating:
“Sındırgı is a place that preserves its culture from past to present. We had the chance to see and learn about the traditional products made here. We are grateful to Mayor Yavaş for his warm hospitality.”
Another student, Nisanur Çağla, said that visiting Sındırgı contributed greatly to their understanding of local culture and cuisine:
“We came here to learn about Sındırgı’s traditional dishes and cultural heritage. This experience has been very valuable for us.”
