Food is a bridge that connects people and strengthens relationships in every part of the world. Gastronomy, described as the science of food, investigates the relationship between food and culture. Food culture has been a process from the production of food to consumption in a society and an important issue comprising material, moral and cultural elements that emerged from this process.
Food culture in Hatay has been shaped by influences from environmental conditions, socio-cultural structure, economy and religious beliefs. With more than 600 dishes, more than 300 side dishes, hundreds of desserts and jams, the most important factor that makes the Hatay cuisine so unique is that it was able to transfer its cultural richness to its cuisine and food varieties so strongly, and more importantly, that it manages to improve and maintain such transfer despite all kinds of modern pressures. While this feature is rare in the world, Hatay cuisine is a good example that can reflect this and keep it alive.
With this aspect, Hatay was declared a gastronomy city by UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017. First, let’s talk about the UNESCO Programme. UNESCO Creative Cities Network Program, created by UNESCO in 2004, is an initiative that brings together cities from various regions with different income levels, capacities and populations to work in the field of creative industries. The program is intended to develop the creative, economic and social potential of cultural industries run by local actors, in this respect, supports UNESCO’s ideals of cultural diversity.
UNESCO Gastronomy Project was launched for gastronomy cities to successfully meet the criteria of sustainability, hygiene, quality products and quality food expected of them by UNESCO, and various practices have been started in Hatay for this purpose. It is certain that these practices will not only contribute significantly to Hatay Cuisine but also to the present and future states of catering and food sector of Hatay.
The main goals of the gastronomy project are:
- To introduce the Hatay cuisine culture, which is among the richest cuisines of Anatolia, not only nationally but also internationally,
- To make the whole world taste the unique flavors of Hatay cuisine and ensure that the recipes of these flavors remain on the agenda,
- To transfer the cultural cuisine heritage of Hatay to future generations and maintain its continuity,
- To eliminate the shortage of qualified intermediate staff in the catering sector,
- To expand the commercial and cultural volume of the city both nationally and internationally through creation of an environment where gastronomy experts from around the world share their experiences,
- To increase the creativity potential in the field of gastronomy and ensure the rural and urban development of the city.
