Migration and food culture: The example of Syrian restaurants

The food is a concept that offers an opportunity for sociological analysis, beyond being a biological consumable. Factors such as the ingredients, the way it is cooked, the initial food of a meal, even the table setting are all parts of this cultural process. It is inevitable that this cultural process is subject to change and transformation. This research was carried out on the food culture of Syrians who came to Turkey as a result of the civil unrest in Syria in 2011 and opened restaurants in Istanbul. The human beings take their own habits and cultural codes with them wherever they migrate. Due to communication and interaction of people in this new place, experiencing a transformation is a natural process. This study, which was conducted on the spiral relationship between food and migration, focused on the effects of the food culture of Syrian refugees who are restaurant owners living in Istanbul on social harmony, the social networks they gained through food, and the changes and transformations in their food culture as a result of their interaction with Turkish food culture. Designed as a qualitative research, this study was conducted using a semi-structured in-depth interview technique and data was collected until data saturation was achieved in the interviews. Based on the data obtained, the focus was on the challenging effects of the process that started with the migration from Syria to Turkey, the transformation of food into a unifying cultural element, the meanings of food for Syrian refugees, and their roles in the social adaptation process through change and transformation as a result of cultural interaction.