Sustainable culinary culture: gastronomic practices of locals' transitional periods in Menteşe in the context of intangible cultural heritage

Purpose Transitional periods are important for people, such as birth, marriage and death, are important times when ceremonial meals are prepared and served and certain practices are carried out. These periods and the practices constitute our gastronomic cultural heritage. In order to keep our cultural heritage alive and pass it on to future generations, existing values must first be identified and recorded. For this reason, in this study, gastronomic practices of Mentese's transitional periods were examined within the scope of intangible cultural heritage. Design/methodology/approach In this research, data was collected using ethnographic design, which is one of the qualitative research methods, and document analysis, interviews and focus group studies, as well as participant observation techniques and image/audio materials. The sample was determined using snowball sampling, convenience sampling and maximum diversity sampling methods. In the analysis of the data, themes and codes related to gastronomic practices in transitional periods were created and direct quotations were included with a descriptive approach. Findings It has been found that traditions are kept more alive in rural areas, while those living in the city centres no longer perform these practices dating back to the ancient times. Participants attribute the main reason for this to the fact that economic conditions are not favourable and that some traditional practices are “unnecessary” today. While wedding meals, which are the main part of the weddings, used to be made by women in the past, they are now mostly made by catering companies. Research limitations/implications It was accepted that some of the participants started to give short answers as the duration of the interview increased and that the answers given were limited to what the participants could remember. Originality/value This study reveals special day meals and practices, rituals and traditions related to food within the scope of Mentese's culinary culture, which has a very deep-rooted history. In this regard, in addition to making an important contribution to the literature, the study also contributes to the articles about “recording and promoting the culture” mentioned in the Intangible Cultural Heritage convention.