Turkish Food Habits As a Window Into Turkish Culture

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Turkish Food Habits As a Window Into Turkish Culture

— Geographical Position — History — Nationalism — A culture’s foodways often shed light into deeper cultural meanings. Currently, the world is being impacted by a globalization of food on a scale never seen before. — The city of Istanbul spans two continents, holding on to the glamorous, rich past while simultaneously moving quickly towards the future. The amalgamation of past and present, East and West, traditional and modern, make Turkey the perfect cultural focus for issues of modernity, Americanization and globalization and foodways are an ideal window. — I interviewed 33 Turkish students at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul about their food consumption and how they felt about a variety of Turkish and Western foods. Though they indicated that they liked both Turkish and Western foods, I found that a majority of the foods chosen as students’ favorite were distinctly Turkish. • A consensus analysis showed strong agreement about a shared food culture. • 71.8% of students indicated that their favorite foods were Turkish. • 73% of participants responded that they were able to cook their favorite food at home. • 68% of respondents chose Turkish restaurants as their favorite place to dine out. — The juxtaposition between modern fast food and culinary classics in Istanbul epitomizes Turkey’s cultural and geographical position. Starbucks and TGIFridays line the streets, situated next to local lahmacun restaurants and street venders selling simits. Simitçiler(simit sellers) walk up and down the neighborhoods every morning, calling to early risers, while other commuters scurry off to work with their mugs of McDonald’s coffee. — Still maintain: — A preference for Turkish foods over American foods — Lengthy meals with family and friends — Local food knowledge and ability to cook Turkish dishes — Connections to food and people who sell and produce — Regional differences — There is a renewed pride in Turkish food as well. There has been a resurgence of Ottoman cuisine and Turkish haute cuisine and much geographical variation throughout Turkey. Though some dishes were similar throughout the country, many regions had specialties that they proudly served as uniquely their own. — Both through questionnaires and observations it is very clear that Turkey has been able to maintain much of its culinary culture even with the invasion of fast food. The strong nationalism that most Turk’s feel has proved that though they will enjoy the occasional pizza or burger, a kebab or pide would be much preferred. — Discussing students’ love of Turkish food, meandering through local markets, and meeting food vendors showed me how to live in a society that was not afraid of food but savored and enjoyed it. My research has helped me to become more involved in the slow and local food movements in the United States. .

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