Determining the awareness levels of food and beverage professionals regarding the sustainability of local food culture: A qualitative study in the province of Gaziantep

This study was conducted to determine the awareness levels of food and beverage professionals in Gaziantep regarding the local food culture from a sustainability perspective. In this context, qualitative research was carried out with 40 culinary professionals actively working in Gaziantep. The research was designed according to the case study model. As a data collection tool, interview questions specifically developed by the researcher were used. The results revealed that the awareness of food and beverage professionals working in the field of Gaziantep local cuisine could be grouped under seven themes: sources of knowledge about Gaziantep culinary culture, the seasonality characteristic of Gaziantep cuisine, the commercial potential of local dishes, efforts to preserve the local food culture, forgotten or nearly forgotten dishes, tourists' demand for local foods, and suggestions for ensuring the sustainability of the local food culture. Overall, it was found that Gaziantep food and beverage professionals generally learned about the local culinary culture from masters and their mothers; that Gaziantep's local cuisine is inherently seasonal so much so that seasonality is considered a defining feature; that certain ingredients and dishes are available only for a very limited time; and that the commercial potential of Gaziantep's local cuisine is remarkably high. Additionally, the study found that cultural preservation efforts primarily focus on accurately transferring knowledge, values, and culinary richness to future generations. It was also noted that many products and dishes have either been forgotten or are on the verge of being forgotten. To ensure sustainability, institutional, educational, psychological, and economic measures were deemed necessary. Based on these findings, recommendations were developed for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.