Abstract
The Place of Salty Fish and Buttermilk Soup (Ayran Aşı) in Gastronomy Tourism of Van Province
Food and beverage culture varies from country to country, as well as from region to region within the same country. If the local foods are not promoted enough (the most important promotion is through tourism), they can face the danger of extinction over time as well as overcoming the limits of the narrow areas where they are consumed. While these foods preserve their characteristics of being local cultural heritage in tourism, they can also gain a universal dimension. In addition to this, local foods contribute to the destination economically as well as promoting the destination. In this context, the purpose of the research is to determine the preparation and presentation stages of the salty fish and buttermilk soup (ayran aşı) which are included in the intangible cultural heritage in Van province, and to determine the contribution of the local culture to the region and the use of these local foods for tourism purposes. In the research, observation and interview method was used. Observations were made with businesses that sell salty fish and with families engaged in this business for consumption purposes. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the people who are directly or indirectly related to the businesses that make the mentioned food and with the elderly people who are dominant in the culture of the region. It has been observed that these foods have an important place in the food culture of Van province, but as a result of the research, the introduction of salty fish and buttermilk soup (ayran aşı) is insufficient, and it is underresearched in tourism studies.
Keywords
Cultural Heritage, Salty Fish, Buttermilk Soup (Ayran Aşı)
