Istanbul trip with students

GALA Logo and Poster

                 

Turkish Culinary Culture

Nutrition is a central fact of existence for all living things, it is something we must achieve in order to remain alive. We may approach the subject of nutrition in Turkey, and Turkish cuisine, from a variety of standpoints.

Different societies have different cultures, and among these cultural differences is the element of eating habits. All people must eat to live. But what a person eats depends on both geographical conditions, and upon his culture.

Throughout our country, eating habits exhibit variety according to history, region, and even among various sections of society such as urban or village dwellers. In addition, we can speak of common features despite these differences.

With a long history, the Turks have a rich culinary culture. This wealth is evident in the rich variety of foods. 

In generally, we observe the following characteristics in Turkish foods:

• Nomadism and the agricultural economic structure have affected Turkish food.
• Foods exhibit variety according to our country’s geographical regions.
• Foods generally exhibit differentiation according to families’ socioeconomic level.
• The variety of foods is indicative of reciprocal influence with other cultures.
• Our cuisine is influenced by our religious structure, norms and values.
• Eating habits display a certain degree of differentiation according to gender.

Gastronomy Life and Arts - European Union (GALA.EU)

Our project 'Gastronomy Life and Arts - European Union (GALA.EU)' will study how the influence of gastronomy has transcended to other arts. This has been reflected in the  artistic expressions of painting, literature and film that have been witness of the life, customs, traditions and spectacular changes of our European society for centuries.

Through gastronomy, our students will discover, learn and respect the rich common European heritage, analysing the cultural, social, artistic and economic developments of Europe and its citizens. The project will also raise awareness of the importance of following a rich, healthy and balanced diet.

We believe that our project will be the connection platform with Europe and its young people and will foster the sense of belonging to a same community. It will develop the knowledge and ownership of the European cultural heritage, through the cuisine, and the respect for the European identity, its plurality and its linguistic richness.

Working with our European partners gives us access to their culture and knowledge. Teachers and students can discover that different languages or cultures are not  insurmountable  barriers  but only small obstacles we have to overcome and this will stimulate us to improve our linguistic and strategic competences.