Knowledge and Consumption Preferences of University Students Regarding Spices: A Case Study at Aksaray University

Abstract

Spice, whose Turkish equivalent is ‘baharat’, originally comes from the Arabic word ‘bahārāt’
to Turkish, and it is the plural form of the word ‘bahar’, which means aroma. Also, India is
‘Bhārat’ in the Hindi language (Bhārat Ganarājya = Republic of India). Spices have been used
for several purposes such as conserving food, fighting against illnesses and during religious
ceremonies since early ages, and are still highly consumed today even some kind of usage has
changed. Turkish geographical position is appropriate for many spices to grow. Although some
spices are not grown in Turkey (etc. cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon), they are imported
from other countries and used in Turkish cuisine. This study has aimed to identify some
knowledge and consumption choices of students of Aksaray University about spices. A survey
was carried out with 400 students. The obtained data were analysed via computer and findings
were interpreted. Only 15% of the participants knew today’s most expensive spice, saffron.
None of the participants stating saffron were able to know the sale price of it, which was 4,000
TRY when the survey was under process. 59% of the participants reported that salt was not a
spice, which is a correct statement.