Gastronomic evaluation of food and beverage establishments in Edremit Bay with in the framework of cultural identity

Culture is one of the unique characteristics that people have like fingerprints since they are born. The combination of many elements such as society's customs, traditions, language, religion, ethnicity, eating and drinking habits forms culture. The social ownership of these elements and their continuation by transferring them from ancestors to sons leads to the existence of cultural identity. When the concept of cultural identity affected by environmental factors is examined the relationship between food and culture and food and identity emerges. In the study, it was attempted to determine the motivations of local people in Edremit Bay to consume local food within the framework of cultural identity and the opinions of food and beverage business officials regarding the cultural identity of the region. In the thesis, in which both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used, the data were obtained from local people (n = 400) through a structured questionnaire, and the data from food and beverage businesses (n = 15) were obtained by interviewing in details with a semi-structured questionnaire. Being learned the values that reveal the cultural identity of the region by both local people and food and beverage business managers enables the cultural identity of Edremit Bay, especially the province of Balıkesir that has the title of feeding Turkey, to be explained. The data obtained from 15 food and beverage business officials operating in the region were subjected to content analysis. Research findings were collected under 410 codes, 13 sub-themes and 4 main themes. Main themes revealed as "Perception of Edremit Bay on the Gastronomy & Culture Axis (f=96)", "Gastronomic Identity Components of Edremit Bay (f=78)", "Preferred Products in Edremit Bay (f=32)" and "Edremit Bay Representations of Cultural Identity in Food and Beverage Establishments (f=204)". It was seen that the menus of 12 establishments included food and beverages with local names. 8 of the participatings think that their businesses fully reflect the culture of Edremit Bay, and 4 of them (K1, K6, K10, K14) have the opinion that they partially reflect it. The general average of the "motivation to consume local food" of the participatings consisting of local people was found to be high 3.931±0.916 (Min=1; Max=5). Forming the sub-dimensions of motivation to consume local foods; the averages of "cultural experience" (3.828±1.004), "excitement" (3.849±1.006), "interpersonal relationship" (4.006±1.023), "sensory appeal" (4.077±1.019) and "health concern" (4.048±1.029) was found to be high.