The Story of Real Food at Foodist İstanbul 2026

Hello dear friends. Where do you think the story of a plate begins? In the kitchen, or much earlier, the moment a seed is placed in the soil? On 8 September I joined the session “Gerçek Gıdanın Hikayesi: İyi Yemek Mutfakta Değil Toprakta Başlar” (The Story of Real Food: Good Food Begins in the Soil, Not in the Kitchen) at Foodist İstanbul 2026. I stepped onto the stage as Merve Tüfekçi, founder of Şifa Köyü, yet that day I felt most of all like a grower who works the soil. Today I would like to tell you about it from the heart.

The session was moderated by Özlem Mekik, chef and TV programme presenter. Chefs Aydın Demir and Zeki Kara were with me on the Foodist Show Kitchen stage. I spoke about the soil; they spoke through the plate. The products we brought from Şifa Köyü turned into dishes in the hands of the chefs. Growing something in the field and then watching it come to life again in skilled hands is truly a beautiful feeling.

From the soil to the plate

On our farm in Şile we grow with heirloom seeds and without chemicals. Organic farming is not a label for us; it is a way of living. Produce grown in its own season waits for its own time, and we simply respect the soil, the water and the seed. This is what I shared on stage: sustainable agriculture sounds like a big idea, but it starts with a very simple question. Where does this food come from, and whose labour grew it?

Watching the chefs interpret the produce was a separate experience for me. Seeing the relationship between soil and flavour on the plate showed what knowing the source of an ingredient changes in the kitchen. Local production keeps the bond between grower and kitchen alive. Sustainable gastronomy begins right there: in which produce a chef chooses, and in how they look at the labour behind it.

Why good food begins in the soil

Good food is not only a good recipe. It begins with a good seed, clean soil, honest farming and respect for labour. An heirloom seed is more than a seed; it is the memory of a place and the culture of that land. Protecting it also protects the whole story from field to table. Do you know where the food on your plate comes from and whose hands it passed through? Next time you shop, you may try asking that question just once.

Thank you

My heartfelt thanks to Foodist İstanbul for bringing us together on this stage, to Özlem Mekik for guiding the conversation with such warmth, and to chefs Aydın Demir and Zeki Kara for interpreting the Şifa Köyü products with such skill. A big thank you as well to assistant chef Halime Kaya for her work in the kitchen preparations.

The story of real food begins in the soil and finds its meaning at the table. If you know a grower who has a place at your table, or if you are growing a seed of your own in the garden, I would love to hear about it. May the abundance of the soil always be on your table. Stay with love.

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