Leyla Acogurlu

Turkish molecular gastronomy pioneer who reinvented Ottoman cuisine using scientific methods

Chef Leyla Acogurlu (b.1978) merged 16th-century Ottoman recipes with modern chemistry through her Istanbul-based Labofeu restaurant. Her team uses liquid nitrogen and spherification to recreate historical dishes documented in Süleyman the Magnificent's kitchen journals.

Her 'Edible Archives' project reverse-engineered 237 lost recipes, including the world's first vitamin-enriched baklava for malnourished children. Watch her TEDx talk on culinary time travel.

Acogurlu developed Halal Molecular Gastronomy standards adopted by 23 countries. Her 3D-printed lokum (Turkish delight) won the 2021 Global Food Innovation Award. Discover her National Geographic feature on food archaeology.