Analysis of dishes from other cultures in turkish culinary culture

This study is a qualitative research prepared to understand the historical development process and contemporary reflections of Turkish culinary culture. The research aims to determine the origin of the dishes featured on the menus of restaurants that offer Turkish cuisine, their position within Turkish cuisine, their presence in written sources of Turkish culinary history, and their influence from foreign cuisines. Initially, a literature review was conducted on the development of Turkish culinary history from Central Asia to the present. Then, to achieve the study's goal, data was planned to be collected from the menus of restaurants offering Turkish cuisine. Therefore, the universe of the study was defined as restaurants in Turkey serving dishes unique to Turkish cuisine. As a sample, first and second-class restaurants and gastronomy establishments in Istanbul, where the most restaurants offering Turkish cuisine are located, were selected. To identify the businesses included in the sample, data from the website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was used, revealing 98 establishments meeting the sampling criteria. Of these, 22 were either never opened or closed before the researcher's visit. Therefore, menus from 76 restaurants serving Turkish cuisine were personally collected by the researcher through on-site visits. The data collection process took place between March and May 2023. The collected data was processed by eliminating repeated dishes and categorizing the remaining ones. The categorization of the dishes was based on the 14-step classic French menu. Dishes were first classified by type, then by their presence in historical written sources, and finally by their geographical indication status. The literature review comprehensively examined numerous written sources, including cookbooks, medical texts, visitor books, diaries, palace accounting records, travel notes, and historical treatises. The data analysis in the research was conducted using the MAXQDA 2024 program. The study demonstrates the dynamic structure and historical continuity of Turkish culinary culture. The findings revealed that Turkish culinary culture comprises not only traditional dishes but also a rich gastronomic heritage shaped by historical and cultural interactions with various societies. Additionally, the study analyzes in detail how Turkish cuisine has undergone changes and transformations over different periods, integrating new ingredients and techniques. The study concluded that Turkish culinary culture has a dynamic structure shaped by various cultural interactions over time. Moreover, it documents how the historical processes have influenced modern Turkish cuisine and the menus of restaurants serving Turkish dishes today. These findings illustrate that Turkish culinary culture is not just traditional dishes but also reflects a historical and cultural accumulation. In conclusion, this study makes significant contributions to the academic literature on Turkish culinary history and provides a solid foundation for broader research on Turkish gastronomic history. The results of the research offer a comprehensive resource for researchers seeking to deeply understand the historical origins of Turkish culinary culture and their reflections on modern cuisine.