Turkish Flour Yeast and Ingredients Promotion Group (UTG) has, under the promotional activities it has been carrying on in the Philippines, organized training programs for Filipino bakers on production of bakery products of Turkish cuisine under the common activity executed with Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association Inc. (FCBAI) with a view to making a difference in terms of Turkish wheat flour in the Philippines and improving the said country’s place in Turkey’s flour exports.

Training programs for Filipino bakers on production of bakery products – especially those peculiar to Turkish cuisine- with Turkish flour were held between 17-22 March 2015 in the Philippines/Manila. Under the said training programs, theoretical and practical training were given by Prof. Dr. Hamit Köksel from the Food Engineering Department of Hacettepe University, and by Chef Emin AYDEMİR from Turkey to two groups of Filipino bakers/pastry chefs between 19-20 March 2015 and 21-22 March 2015at the training area located in FCBAI’s premises. 

At the beginning of the first days of the two-day training programs, Prof. Hamit KÖKSEL shared theoretical information on the following subjects: “bakery science and technology”, “characteristics of inputs used in bakery and their effects on quality of final product”, “interpretation of flour analyses conducted at laboratory, associating them with quality of final product”, and “quality characteristics of various Turkish flours and their use in some bakery products”.

Then, the trainees were given practical training by Chef Emin AYDEMİR on the production of the following bakery products from Turkish cuisine: Turkish bread, “simit” (both pastry shop simit and street simit), “gözleme” (with different fillings), “poğaça” (with different fillings), “ponçik”, “paskalya çöreği”, “şekerpare”, “revani”, “havuçlu kek”, “un kurabiyesi”, “Bursa lokumu”.

At the end of the second days of the training programs, 3 units each of stand mixers were presented as a gift to the attendees from both groups by drawing lots. Furthermore, small tools-appliances related with bakery-pastry were presented to all trainees together with their certificates.

The training programs held between 19-20 March 2015 and 21-22 March 2015, which are the precursors of a large number of training programs planned to be realized in the Philippines, enabled a serious number of bakers to have an idea about the quality of Turkish flour and to gain hands-on experience in the production of a large number of products from the Turkish cuisine. Such training programs are expected to have a positive effect on the flour and yeast exports from our country to the Philippines.

Furthermore, Mr. Winston YU, Chairman of Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association Inc., and a significant number of the Directors of the said Association attended the two-day training of the first group, voicing their wish for these training programs being the precursor of further ones, sharing their favorable opinions about them. Ms. Carla Leopoldo VALENCİA and Ms. Catherine G. BLAS–YU, the Filipino bakers/chefs previously trained in Turkey, and FCBAI officer baker/chef Ms. Irene TING contributed significantly towards the coordination required for the training programs.

Ayrıca, bahse konu eğitimlerin ortaklaşa gerçekleştirildiği Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association Inc. Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Winston YU ve YK üyelerinin önemli bir kısmı, ilk grubun eğitimine iki gün boyunca yoğun katılım sağladı ve bu eğitimlerin başlangıç olması yönündeki temennilerini yenileyerek anılan eğitimler hususundaki olumlu görüşlerini paylaştılar. Eğitim için gerekli koordinasyonun sağlanmasında da daha önce Türkiye’ye gelerek eğitim alan Filipinli fırıncılar/şefler kapsamında Carla Leopoldo VALENCİA ve Catherine G. BLAS–YU ile FCBAI yetkilisi fırıncı/şef Irene TING’in önemli katkısı oldu.