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.
