Examining the gastronomic commons of regional foods as cultural heritage through cultural identity: Mersin tantuni sample

Gastronomic commons is cultural commons that are built on the basis of culinary cultural commons. Gastronomy and recipes are shared resources and collective creations that have been passed from one generation to other and cultural commons is a powerful means of understanding the working and dynamics of culinary cultures. With its subsets gastronomic commons becomes local, regional or national heritages. In this study, it is aimed to examine the gastronomic commons of tantuni, the most famous and consumed food of Mersin, through the cultural identity of people in Mersin. In line with this objective, initially true information about tantuni has been collected through documentary research method. Then, interviews have been carried out with tantuni chefs and/or owners of tantuni restaurants who have been in this sector for years by using semi-constructed interview forms. Later, based on true and common information about tantuni gained from these interviews, a survey including 5 dimensions and 35 true statements about gastronomic commons of tantuni has been developed and given to people who lives and consumes tantuni in Mersin. The analysis of data has been done by using SPSS packaged software through the cultural identity of participants by grouping them as people of Mersin or not. According to the test results, there are meaningful differences between two groups in their levels of demonstrating or having knowledge about gastronomic commons of tantuni. In addition to this, it is understood that all consumers of tantuni see it as a cultural heritage of Mersin and tantuni is an indicative of Mersin culture and identity of people of Mersin. It is also identified that consumers of tantuni show interest in what it is made of and how it is made, acquire some practices developed around tantuni and associate Mersin with tantuni and tantuni with Mersin. Key words: Tantuni, Gastronomic Commons, Identity, Cultural Heritage