Analyzing the local cuisine of Eskişehir in the context of cultural identity

The concept of local cuisine, which is being increasingly important nowadays, refers to the food and beverages produced by the local people of a region with cooking methods specific to the region. Local cuisine products, which are part of the immaterial cultural heritage, also reflect the cultural identity of the region. Destinations attract tourists by highlighting their local dishes and tourists willing to experience the culture of the region taste local flavors in this direction. Gastronomy tourism provides various contributions to the region and food and beverage businesses also utilize local dishes in their menus for this purpose. There is a deep-rooted culinary culture in every region of Türkiye. Eskisehir also has a rich local cuisine with the effect of its migrant population. For this reason, it is important to examine Eskisehir cuisine. In this study prepared based on the importance of the subject; Eskisehir culinary culture is examined and the local cuisine of Eskisehir province is discussed together with its general structure, seasonal preparations, kitchen architecture and equipment. Traditional practices in Eskisehir cuisine on special occasions are presented in detail and finally, local food and beverages that stand out in Eskisehir cuisine are examined in detail. It is aimed to determine the level of local cuisine products in food and beverage businesses in Eskisehir. The population of the study consists of first-class restaurants operating in Eskisehir. A qualitative research method was utilized in the study and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 12 first-class restaurants in Eskisehir. According to the results of the research, it was found that 9 restaurants do not include local dishes at all, while 3 restaurants include local food and beverages in their menus at a limited level. In the conclusion section, recommendations were made to the sector and academia.