The effect of beliefs on gastronomy: A research on the determination of the opinions of the kitchen managers of five star hotels in bodrum

Tourism sector is a sector that can serve many people from different nationalities and different religions at the same time. Food and beverage services are in the ?sine qua non? of the tourism sector. The idea of ?People should eat, because they get hungry? is related to physiological needs. However, what people choose from alternatives available when they have a chance of preference is relevant to their culture, traditions and religious beliefs. Every religion that is embraced by the society consists of beliefs and rituals of its own. People also behave in accordance with the requirements of the religion they are members of. Religion, affecting every section of life, has also affected people's food culture. Religious rules also include rules about food and eating habits. Many of the factors shaping food habits are identified by religious rules. These can be in the form of restrictions and prohibitions or strong beliefs fitted by members of a particular religion. Religious beliefs have the potential to affect a group?s feeding habits, shopping patterns, business types and social positions. As well as all of these mentioned above, sociological habits and individual approaches adopted by people leads to changes in food consumption. The scope of this study is determined considering all of these issues.With this study, in the context of Gastronomy how the rules of a religion affect people?s eating and drinking culture were examined, in this context, religions of primitive tribes, national religions, and monotheistic religions are analyzed. The data obtained as a result of literature study suggests the presence of a set of rules, in line with people's beliefs, that people are obliged to fulfill related with eating and drinking. This study includes investigation of the attitudes of five-star hotels towards application of religious rules in food and drink services and to what extent it can be possible in hotel companies to apply these rules. In this process, ten kitchen managers have been interviewed with semi-formatted questions and asked about their attitudes toward rules of monotheistic religions their customers belong to and the results are evaluated. Research results concluded that kitchen managers pay attention to the religious sensitivity of their guests and they take into account of the religious rules in all phases of food preparation and submission.Key words: Gastronomy, Religion, Belief, Kitchen, Dining Culture, Hotels, Tourism.