Offal in Turkısh Cuisine: Example of Adana Province

Abstract

Offal, which has an important place in Turkish culinary culture, is defined as the edible parts of slaughtered animals, excluding meat. Since ancient times, when people began to hunt animals, offal has been a part of the dietary habits of Turks and other ethnic groups. In the light of this information, I aimed to bring together the findings about offal, to reveal the place and importance of Turkish cuisine from past to present, and to determine and evaluate the offal in the menus of food and beverage businesses in Adana. The target population of the study consists of food and beverage businesses located in the center of Adana. It was determined that the enterprises participating in the research operate in the center of Adana and include offal dishes in their menus. Accordingly, a total of 17 businesses that include offal in their menus were interviewed. Content analysis were used in the analysis of the data obtained for the study. When the results of the analysis are examined, it has been determined that the menus of the enterprises in Adana mainly include şırdan (abomasum), mumbar, kırkkat (rumen), tripe, khash, tongue, çürük and brain offal dishes. When we look at the data obtained as a result of the interviews, it is seen that offal dishes have an important place. The fact that both local people and guests from different provinces prefer offal in Adana reveals that offal is also important in the scope of gastronomic tourism in Adana region.