Intergenerational transmission of culinary heritage in the immigrant cuisine

Gastronomic heritage forms a cultural bridge between generations through the transmission of recipes, cooking techniques, table etiquette, and presentation styles from past to present. However, globalization, urbanization, the rise of the convenience food industry, and changing living conditions in the 21st century. The change, which is present in every field where intergenerationality is in question, manifests itself in the culinary culture of the immigrant community, which has now reached its fifth generation. The primary aim of this thesis is to analyze the current state of transmission of gastronomic heritage through generations within the cuisine of the population exchange community. The population of this study consists of second-, third-, and fourth-generation female members of the same families who were resettled in the city of Samsun under the 1923 Turkish-Greek Population Exchange Protocol. After determining the study population, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who shared the same characteristics, using the snowball sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software. Based on existing theoretical frameworks and participant responses, seven main themes were identified: gastronomic identity, knowledge and awareness, symbolically extending oneself, transmission of social capital, preserving traditional practices, ceremonial food culture transmission, and preservation of culinary culture. Findings revealed successful transmission of gastronomic heritage between the second and third generations. However, several barriers have emerged in the transmission from the third to the fourth generation, leading to a disruption in continuity. These barriers, identified and added to the literature, include: women's participation in the workforce, widespread availability of convenience foods, growing preference for ordering food or dining out, shrinking interest and dedication toward culinary traditions, fall in economic potential, lack of effort, disappearance of traditional kitchen tools, association of "traditional" with "outdated," health concerns, migration to urban centers, abandonment of dishes that don't suit palatal delight, acculturation, mother's lack of active involvement in transmission, and weakening intra-family bonds. In the final part of the study, practical recommendations are offered to address these challenges and ensure the continued transmission of gastronomic heritage through generations.