Exploring Iconic Foods of Hatay Cuisine as a Cultural Identity

Abstract

Since food is important to define and embody the gastronomic characteristics of a place, it is considered as part of the cultural capital that represents the expression of a country, society and history. Therefore, the symbolic foods of the region form the basis of the culinary culture. Iconic foods culturally encompass historical depth, skills, knowledge, eating habits, and other traditions. Although it varies from culture to culture, foods that reflect the values of the countries or regions are seen as a symbol of cultural identity. In this context the main purpose of the current research is to determine what is the iconic foods in Hatay cuisine, where the variety of food is very high. For this purpose study is an exploratory research. The data related to the research were collected between April 30 - May 15 2023 by means of a questionnaire. In total, 412 questionnaires were obtained from public of Hatay. The results of the this study shows the potential of 55 the iconic dishes in Hatay cuisine. Origins of these foods and their cultural values shows that the of iconic dishes in Hatay cuisine is a symbol of cultural identity.