JAKARTA - Turkey may take years more to send someone into space, but a restaurant owner is trying it with humble beginnings: a delicious Adana kebab dish from the famous southern province.
A few hours before the iftar dinner for Muslims, and after careful preparation, Yaşar Aydın launched a small plate of 'pipe' kebabs into the stratosphere.
Kebab "pipa" is a new trendy dish in Adana, where spicy and liver kebabs attract fans of Turkish cuisine. Wrapped around a steel pipe instead of skewered for freshness, the 'pipa' kebab became Turkey's first export to space on April 12.
Aydın had originally planned to launch his kebabs into space during the city's recent festival, but unfavorable weather conditions delayed the launch.
Finally on Tuesday, with the help of local entrepreneur Idris Albayrak, Aydın achieved his dream. Albayrak, who is also a student of aerospace engineering, planned all stages of the launch into the stratosphere.
A special box is designed to place the kebabs in order to withstand the extreme temperatures in the sky. The box, equipped with a camera and tracking device, was attached to a helium balloon. Meanwhile, Aydın doesn't forget to add side dishes to kebabs like the ones he serves his customers on Earth, from onions to salads.
This is the picture of a kebab in space launched from Adana, #Turkey, living its best life. Don't accept limits. Thanks for bringing this to my attention @mohamedwashere. pic.twitter.com/HwIS61Jlhu
— Faisal (@fromadic92) April 12, 2022
The duo chose April 12 because it also coincides with International Day of Human Space Flight, the anniversary of the legendary flight of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to the unknown.
However, the kebab's destination is more or less clear, some 38 kilometers (24 miles) above the Adana sky. Amid applause and curious stares from the audience, the box was launched into space for a flight that took about three hours. After the balloon explodes, the journey back to Earth begins. The kebab box fell into the sea off Hatay Beach, southern Turkey's province, at a place about 121 kilometers away from the launch site.
Aydın and the others lifted the box from the sea, with its contents mostly intact, except for a few pieces that appeared to have been bitten by the fish, who were obviously surprised by this literal manna from heaven, but the taste was too spicy and carnivorous.
"I think the aliens sent it back because there was too much pepper. I'll send a dish with a little pepper next time," Aydın joked as he picked up the box and vowed to continue his quest to shoot the famous dish further into space, reports Daily Sabah 12. April.
"I love to promote our city and our cuisine. I like to be the first in something," he told reporters who witnessed the launch and return of the kebab.
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