Gastronomik Bir Miras Trakya Kuskusu; Çatalca Örneği (Thracian Couscous as Gastronomic Heritage; The Case of Çatalca)

Abstract

Couscous, a food of Turkish cuisine made using traditional methods, distinguishes itself through unique tools, communal preparation, and high nutritional value. Couscous, whose traditional production continues especially in the regions where the Balkan immigrant population lives in the Thrace region, is in danger of being lost and forgotten due to the aging of the population and the loss of interest of the young population.  Interviews conducted in Istanbul's Çatalca district, the gateway to Thrace, aimed to assess the current situation of couscous production. In this study, in which the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used, the headmen of 35 rural neighborhoods in Çatalca district were interviewed and it was learned that couscous production no longer continues in 9 neighborhoods. Semi-structured interviews with 18 elders from couscous-making areas unveiled unrecorded steaming and drying techniques. Elders struggle with couscous-making, while younger generations prefer store-bought options. As a result, fewer families now craft couscous compared to the past.