Determine The Recognition Status of the Culture of Cuisine of the Local People: The Sample of Erzurum City

Abstract

Turkish cuisine culture takes place among the world’s most important cuisines but it can not
evaluate its potential. Local people do not have enough information about culinary culture.
Therefore this cause that local people can not introduce own rooted and multifaceted culinary
culture to the tourists visiting the this area. However, local Turkish cuisine is different from others in
terms of the variety of food, food tastes and features. In this context, the purpose of this research is
to determine whether local people in Erzurum know their own culinary culture or not. For this
purpose, inventory study has been made about local food and a questionnaire form has been
prepared. The questionnaire was applied totally to 390 people in the city centre of Erzurum. In the
questionnaire form, some questions have been asked about awareness level of food located in
Erzurum cuisine and how the food that begin to be forgotten can be recovered and some
recommendations have been taken about what should be done to eternize Erzurum culinary culture.
Finally, the detailed charts categorized according to the answer for each question directed to the
sample have been interpreted and some recomendations have been developed to allow local people
to eternize the culinary culture and to be able to transfer the culinary culture to the future
generations. Concerning the data on the results of research, the majority of participant have stated
that they make regional dishes at home, they find delicious local dishes of Erzurum and they do not
forget the culture of Erzurum cuisine. According to participants; Local pepole should be educated
about the local cuisine to improve the culture of Erzurum cuisine and it is expressed that the written
and visual media should be used for advertise.