Start Date
27-5-2026 12:15 PM
End Date
27-5-2026 12:30 PM
Description
The study explores the historical formation of Izmir as a port city shaped by waves of migration, examining how these dynamics contributed to the emergence of a hybrid culinary culture. The present study draws on historical sources and literature on migration to trace Izmir’s transformation from a small Ottoman settlement to a cosmopolitan Mediterranean city. The study highlights the role of diasporic communities including Rums, Sephardic Jews, Armenians, Levantines and later internal migrants in shaping daily life. The manner in which cohabitation patterns, neighbourhood-based settlements, and shared economic spaces have served to facilitate continuous cultural interaction among ethnic minorities is illuminated in order to reveal Izmir cuisine culture. The study focuses on food-related practices, culinary terminology, preparation techniques and its culinary traditions. The study demonstrates that Izmir cuisine is not as static or homogenous customs, rather, its character is shaped by a complex intertwinement of historical processes, including migration, urban interaction, and social adaptation. The study contributes to the broader discourse on diaspora, urban culture, and food studies by providing a case study of Izmir, which exemplifies the material and symbolic interweaving of historical migratory patterns within culinary practices.
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Included in
Migration and Settlement: Nation, Diaspora, and Culinary Geographies in Izmir’s Culinary Culture
The study explores the historical formation of Izmir as a port city shaped by waves of migration, examining how these dynamics contributed to the emergence of a hybrid culinary culture. The present study draws on historical sources and literature on migration to trace Izmir’s transformation from a small Ottoman settlement to a cosmopolitan Mediterranean city. The study highlights the role of diasporic communities including Rums, Sephardic Jews, Armenians, Levantines and later internal migrants in shaping daily life. The manner in which cohabitation patterns, neighbourhood-based settlements, and shared economic spaces have served to facilitate continuous cultural interaction among ethnic minorities is illuminated in order to reveal Izmir cuisine culture. The study focuses on food-related practices, culinary terminology, preparation techniques and its culinary traditions. The study demonstrates that Izmir cuisine is not as static or homogenous customs, rather, its character is shaped by a complex intertwinement of historical processes, including migration, urban interaction, and social adaptation. The study contributes to the broader discourse on diaspora, urban culture, and food studies by providing a case study of Izmir, which exemplifies the material and symbolic interweaving of historical migratory patterns within culinary practices.