Different cultures around the table

As part of the project ‘The art of living together' the Turkish language course students were invited by the family Sahin in Laken.

‘The art of living together' is a cultural exchange project of Beltud, where participants are given the opportunity to get to know other ethnic communities in a friendly atmosphere. For this particular meeting the students of the Turkish language course were welcomed by the family Sahin in their home in Laken. A great opportunity for the students to practice their knowledge of Turkish while enjoying Turkish culture and learning about the habits of a Turkish family in Brussels.

At their arrival, the guests from Flemish, Italian, Russian, Moroccan and Spanish descent were welcomed by Hüseyin Sahin, his wife Melide and their four children. The guests were stunned by the lavishly set table. Melide had prepared lentil soup and various mezes including börek, eggplant salad, and a snack with zucchini, olive and carrot salade. The main course consisted of bulgur, köfte (spicy meatballs) and sarma (stuffed grape leaves). During dinner the group talked about Turkey’s accession to the EU, economy, marriage, entrepreneurship, real estate and of course Turkey.

Traditionally, the guests were served Turkish tea after dinner. One of the students asked Melide how to prepare Turkish coffee, after which Melide demonstrated happily how to do it. The dessert summarized the evening perfectly, Turkish baklava and Italian tiramisu prepared with Belgian ginger cookies. In other words, different cultures around the table and on the plates.