Examination of the culture of an immigrant group Bulgaria to Turkey in 1989 through food memory and food identity

Food is a cultural phenomenon as well as a biological need. Questions such as what we eat, when we eat, and how we eat form part of our cultural identity. The sense of belonging of individuals who experience identity confusion as a result of migration may weaken. Immigrants, who feel rootless after migration, begin to seek a sense of belonging to a place and a life where they can feel safe. Food is one of the biggest phenomenons at this point. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the changing/unchanging food cultures in the memory and on the identity of the 1989 Bulgarian immigrants who settled in the Gebze region. Thus, it was aimed to reveal the food phenomenon, which is an important part of cultural identity, and the relations of life and belonging.