Indonesian chef Ilhani prepares fried food for customers on Gili Trawangan resort island on November 22, 2021. Photo : AFP

The dining tables in the foyer area of AddresIstanbul, a boutique stylish shopping center, in Istanbul were meticulously embellished, with the gold color standing out among others, in line with the topic of the day - "the golden ratio in gastronomy."

Carefully matched white and yellow flowers, gold objects, as well as the soft light of golden candles were a feast for the eyes before the breakfast was served, with a light piano melody accompanying the ambiance.

Istanbul's food buffs gathered at the "breakfast convention" to listen to famous local chefs and food critics talking about their ideas on the golden ratio in gastronomy.

"The golden ratio is a concept that has now entered our lives. We are drawn to objects or shapes that are suitable for the golden ratio, from decoration to gastronomy, whether consciously or not," Secilay Yildiz, general director of AddresIstanbul, said at the beginning of the event.

In her view, people first encountered the golden ratio in architecture and art, and now it has become ubiquitous in daily life.

"Concerning gastronomy, the golden ratio exists in all the stages from choosing the right ingredients, to cooking, and plating," Yildiz remarked.

According to Chef Mehmet Yalcinkaya, the visual appearance of a dish and a dining table can affect how much diners love the food and how they assess the overall flavor.

"The items that we put on a plate are presented in a certain discipline, considering their weight, sizes, and colors," he told the participants.

"In fact, this is a technique we use on plates. There is a mathematical system there for the golden ratio to exist," said Yalcinkaya.

For Ozge Zeki, founder of HappyFashionandFood, the golden ratio in gastronomy lies in the simplicity of the presentation and locality of the foods.