FOOD MATERIALS USED IN MARDIN FOOD CULTURE

Abstract

Mardin region, which has preserved its importance throughout the history of humanity, is a center of historical trade routes and network of cultural relations. The culture that is intertwined with the society has a structure that includes life as a whole. From festivity to funerals, from eating and drinking habits to presenting literary artifacts, all of the values human created are called culture. Components of culture such as love, hate, beliefs, taboos are linked to the stages of production, consumption and preparation of food which is from the habits of human beings. For these reasons, food culture is one of the most important cultural codes of society. Many people living in and around Mardin earn their livelihoods from the production of fruits, vegetables, grains and from animal husbandry. This is effective in the formation of dietary cultures. In the study, face to face interviews were conducted with twenty women who cook Mardin regional dishes and foodstuffs which are an important role in the food culture were examined according to the interviews results. Forty-four local products were identified in the negotiations. It has been determined that sheep meat is preferred more compared to the other kind of meat products, and the consumption of rice in the cereal products is preferred less than the consumption of bulgur. It has also been observed that the consumption of spices in the region is widespread