Leading a healthy and sustainable life has been a basic concern for most of our time here on earth and it has led us to be exceptionally creative with our diet. Our evolution from hunter-gathers to agriculturists and finally to mass-consumption-based societies has been paralleled by a consistent change to our diet. While meat eaters and vegetarians relentlessly spar over what constitutes a healthier lifestyle based on food choices, it seems as if another question has entered the fray – whether it is more wholesome to eat raw food as opposed to cooked food.
What exactly is raw food? Generally speaking, raw foodism, as many understand and practice it, is a dietary lifestyle that excludes any kind of cooked or processed foodstuffs in addition to, of course, meat-based products.
Mehmet Ak, the owner of Raw Gourmet International, a raw culinary academy in Kartepe, Izmit, believes that a complete raw food diet is the right way to go. Coming from a conventional kitchen, Chef Mehmet metamorphosed his cooking style and entire food philosophy from cooked to raw through and through, after he had discovered the health benefits of eating whatever crude food nature yields.
The academy is indeed exceptional of its kind. It was first opened in Chicago in 2005 to meet the growing need and posh lifestyle of the raw food community. The school’s main mission has been and continues to be teaching students the culinary artistry of the raw food cuisine. A few years ago Mehmet decided to relocate to Turkey where he can liaise with a new community of raw foodists and interested volunteers.
With a unique location at the top of a hill in Kartepe that offers an impressive view of the small city, Chef Mehmet’s new academy is decidedly one of a kind, especially with its capacity to accommodate volunteers on-site. Since its inception, the academy has been hosting volunteers from a number of different countries for short-term hands-on training programs.
In addition to daily kitchen coaching, Mehmet has his students help out with farm work and other agriculture-related projects, including sprouting and kitchen gardening. Not only that, the academy holds various mini-workshops and short-term courses either on its premises or in other locations that teach raw food recipes and provide information on how to transform into a raw foodist. The culinary course curricula are divided into three levels of expertise, from basic to advanced, to support everyone who wishes to change their dietary lifestyle, regardless of how far along they are in their journey.
A good piece of advice before trying out a raw food course or even a meal is to do a bit of research to figure out how it fits your current lifestyle and your readiness to change. Personally, my overall experience with raw veganism, as a volunteer, was drastically overwhelming and challenging at the same time. I was not adequately informed about the essence and philosophy of the concept before enrolling, and to be honest, it was pretty challenging to adapt to this change in diet overnight.
Nevertheless, If you are still unsure, you can pay Mehmet a visit in Kartepe — it’s an hour and a half car ride from Istanbul — and enjoy a cup of tea and some toothsome apple crackers with him, and he will give you the low-down on this avant-garde diet.
Arslanbey Beldesi Başaran Mah. Karatape Caddesi No:60
Kartepe, Kocaeli
For more information, email: info@sefmehmetak.com
Abdelrahman Mahmoud is a contributor to Yabangee
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