"Kastamonu" to be a city of gastronomy in the scope of creative cities network

UNESCO defines Intangible Cultural Heritage as the practices, transfers, skills of the cultural heritage of individuals and communities and the tools and places used during their implementation. Intangible cultural heritage is a system that has been passed down through generations, constantly renewed by the interaction of people with their environment throughout their lives, but never loses the sense of continuity and contributes to people's sense of belonging. Creative Cities Network, again defined by UNESCO, is a system in which cities can use and share their skills and creative industries as a distinction from other cities. Gastronomy is one of the seven themes of the Creative Cities Network which the skills and the creative industries of the cities are classified. In this context, the main purpose of our study is to research the deep-rooted culinary culture of Kastamonu province and to guide the efforts to become a city of gastronomy. Our study is important in terms of recording every aspect of the cuisine culture of Kastamonu province in a single source. Along with the food types, the used tools and the rituals around the food in the gastronomic context, and recording the moral values will be important for the sustainability of the cuisine culture. Within the scope of the study, the public awareness for local foods and beverages is measured. The evaluations of the local people about the well known local food and beverage companies which have a great role in promoting the local cuisine and how their steps taken for making Kastamonu a city of gastronomy are considered by local people has been revealed. The population of the study consists of local people living in the central district of Kastamonu. Easy Sampling Method is preferred in the sample of the study. The study sampling consists of the local food and beverage companies' customers at the city center of Kastamonu. An interview form is created for the local population which forms the sampling. The data which are taken from the interviews are analyzed by frequency analysis method. According to the findings obtained as a result of the analysis, the level of awareness of local products and local foods and beverages is high. It is observed that the tools which belong to the local cuisine are not known and used anymore. Although the evaluation of issues such as service quality and variety of food content for the local food and beverage companies is above average, the necessity of improvement is obvious. Although the opinions of the local people about Kastamonu being a city of gastronomy are mostly positive, apparently the rate of those who think that the local cuisine is being forgotten is not very low.