Creating a gastronomic product inventory a research: Example of Edremit region

Nutrition is a necessary need for the life of people or living creatures in nature and has turned into a cultural phenomenon over time. People's preparation of food products, serving the dishes they cook and consuming these foods show which culture they belong to and which culture they reflect. In this direction, local culinary cultures developed over time and separated from other cultures and created a new culture. Socially and culturally, food consumption is associated with many different factors. These factors may differ from region to region. One of the main factors that cause the emergence and development of tourism activities is that it allows the traveling tourists to get to know new places, new cultures and destinations as a result of their curiosity and discovery, as well as allowing the establishment of gastronomic values. And thus the products of the region will be recognized. The main purpose of this research is to identify the local gastronomic products of a region and to create an inventory list of these products, to increase the usability of these products to tourism and to transfer them to future generations by ensuring that they are not forgotten. For this purpose, after reviewing the relevant literature, interviews were conducted with individuals living in the rural neighborhoods of Edremit district in Balıkesir using face-to-face interview technique. In the interview questions, firstly, the socio-demographic characteristics of the individuals were determined, and then questions were asked about the gastronomic products of the region. As a result of the data obtained, it was interpreted with the descriptive research technique. As a result of the research, a total of 62 people were interviewed, 57 of whom were women and 5 were men. It was observed that especially female participants were more willing to answer the interview questions. It has been determined that the occupations are farming in general and the education level is medium. In the analysis of the data obtained, it has been understood that there are a wide variety of gastronomic products belonging to the region and all of them are prepared and consumed with different techniques. In addition, the individuals participating in the interview stated that they are aware of this richness and work to ensure that it is not forgotten, and that they transfer the use of these products to new generations. It is seen that they are sensitive about ensuring the continuity of their traditional cultures and transferring these local products to future generations. It has been determined that the local gastronomic products detected in the region can be used as an attractive element In tourism. The research consists of a total of five parts. Introduction in the first part; The purpose of the research, the importance of the research, the assumptions and limitations of the research constitute the problem of the research. Related literature in the second part; gastronomy phenomenon, gastronomic product concept, general characteristics of Aegean cuisine and related research sections. The third part consists of the research method, the fourth part consists of findings and comments, and the last part of the study, which is the fifth part, consists of conclusions and suggestions. Keywords: Edremit Region, Gastronomic Product, Local Product, Local Cuisine, Gastronomic Inventory