FOOD AS A SITE OF CULTURAL CONTINUITY, IDENTITY, AND ADAPTATION AMONG KYRGYZ MIGRANTS IN TURKIYE

Zeynep Serap Tekten

Makale detayları

FOOD AS A SITE OF CULTURAL CONTINUITY, IDENTITY, AND ADAPTATION AMONG KYRGYZ MIGRANTS IN TURKIYE

Yazarlar:

Zeynep Serap Tekten

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Ana Başlıklar:

Sosyoloji (Diğer)

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 45, pp.127-149

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001348540

pISSN:

2147-2610

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This study explores the culinary experiences of Kyrgyz migrants living in Türkiye, focusing on how food practices contribute to cultural continuity, adaptation, and identity formation. Based on semi-structured interviews with sixteen Kyrgyz participants in Ankara, the research examines how food becomes a meaningful part of everyday life in migration, shaping emotional, cultural, and practical experiences. The findings indicate that migration leads participants to reevaluate the significance of food, which they was often taken for granted before relocation. In the absence of familiar tastes such as horse meat, kımız, sağmal, kurut and traditional dishes like samsa, lagman, dımdıma, oromo, kuurdak and besh parmak, participants come to recognize the symbolic and emotional weight of food in relation to memory, family, and belonging. One key finding shows that the feeling of being full after eating extends beyond physical nourishment, functioning as a metaphor for cultural belonging and emotional well-being. Participants describe how, even when they eat enough in Türkiye, they still feel hungry in the absence of traditional Kyrgyz dishes. This sense of hunger reflects emotional and cultural needs that remain unmet, particularly during times of psychological strain, when there is a strong need for familiar flavors to provide comfort and stability. The findings also reveal that adapting to a new culinary landscape involves more than learning new tastes, it often triggers discomfort when familiar flavors are absent. A recurring challenge for participants is the perceived difference in the taste of red meat in Türkiye compared to Kyrgyzstan. This contrast is attributed to differences in animal feeding practices and ecological conditions. For participants, the inability to replicate the taste of home-cooked meat-based dishes underscores the importance of accessing ingredients that are closely tied to geography, soil characteristics, and climate conditions. The study also documents how migrants develop practical strategies such as transporting food in luggage, relying on informal networks, or using local substitutes to maintain access to culturally meaningful foods and tastes. Although many participants express enjoyment of Turkish cuisine, these new culinary experiences do not replace the emotional fulfillment offered by Kyrgyz food. Instead, they reflect an ongoing negotiation between preservation and adaptation, highlighting the role of food in navigating the realities of migrant life.

 This study explores the culinary experiences of Kyrgyz migrants living in Türkiye, focusing on how food practices contribute to cultural continuity, adaptation, and identity formation. Based on semi-structured interviews with sixteen Kyrgyz participants in Ankara, the research examines how food becomes a meaningful part of everyday life in migration, shaping emotional, cultural, and practical experiences. The findings indicate that migration leads participants to reevaluate the significance of food, which they was often taken for granted before relocation. In the absence of familiar tastes such as horse meat, kımız, sağmal, kurut and traditional dishes like samsa, lagman, dımdıma, oromo, kuurdak and besh parmak, participants come to recognize the symbolic and emotional weight of food in relation to memory, family, and belonging. One key finding shows that the feeling of being full after eating extends beyond physical nourishment, functioning as a metaphor for cultural belonging and emotional well-being. Participants describe how, even when they eat enough in Türkiye, they still feel hungry in the absence of traditional Kyrgyz dishes. This sense of hunger reflects emotional and cultural needs that remain unmet, particularly during times of psychological strain, when there is a strong need for familiar flavors to provide comfort and stability. The findings also reveal that adapting to a new culinary landscape involves more than learning new tastes, it often triggers discomfort when familiar flavors are absent. A recurring challenge for participants is the perceived difference in the taste of red meat in Türkiye compared to Kyrgyzstan. This contrast is attributed to differences in animal feeding practices and ecological conditions. For participants, the inability to replicate the taste of home-cooked meat-based dishes underscores the importance of accessing ingredients that are closely tied to geography, soil characteristics, and climate conditions. The study also documents how migrants develop practical strategies such as transporting food in luggage, relying on informal networks, or using local substitutes to maintain access to culturally meaningful foods and tastes. Although many participants express enjoyment of Turkish cuisine, these new culinary experiences do not replace the emotional fulfillment offered by Kyrgyz food. Instead, they reflect an ongoing negotiation between preservation and adaptation, highlighting the role of food in navigating the realities of migrant life.

 This study explores the culinary experiences of Kyrgyz migrants living in Türkiye, focusing on how food practices contribute to cultural continuity, adaptation, and identity formation. Based on semi-structured interviews with sixteen Kyrgyz participants in Ankara, the research examines how food becomes a meaningful part of everyday life in migration, shaping emotional, cultural, and practical experiences. The findings indicate that migration leads participants to reevaluate the significance of food, which they was often taken for granted before relocation. In the absence of familiar tastes such as horse meat, kımız, sağmal, kurut and traditional dishes like samsa, lagman, dımdıma, oromo, kuurdak and besh parmak, participants come to recognize the symbolic and emotional weight of food in relation to memory, family, and belonging. One key finding shows that the feeling of being full after eating extends beyond physical nourishment, functioning as a metaphor for cultural belonging and emotional well-being. Participants describe how, even when they eat enough in Türkiye, they still feel hungry in the absence of traditional Kyrgyz dishes. This sense of hunger reflects emotional and cultural needs that remain unmet, particularly during times of psychological strain, when there is a strong need for familiar flavors to provide comfort and stability. The findings also reveal that adapting to a new culinary landscape involves more than learning new tastes, it often triggers discomfort when familiar flavors are absent. A recurring challenge for participants is the perceived difference in the taste of red meat in Türkiye compared to Kyrgyzstan. This contrast is attributed to differences in animal feeding practices and ecological conditions. For participants, the inability to replicate the taste of home-cooked meat-based dishes underscores the importance of accessing ingredients that are closely tied to geography, soil characteristics, and climate conditions. The study also documents how migrants develop practical strategies such as transporting food in luggage, relying on informal networks, or using local substitutes to maintain access to culturally meaningful foods and tastes. Although many participants express enjoyment of Turkish cuisine, these new culinary experiences do not replace the emotional fulfillment offered by Kyrgyz food. Instead, they reflect an ongoing negotiation between preservation and adaptation, highlighting the role of food in navigating the realities of migrant life.

 Bu çalışma, Türkiyede yaşayan Kırgız göçmenlerin mutfak deneyimlerini inceleyerek, yemek pratiklerinin kültürel süreklilik, uyum ve kimlik inşasına nasıl katkı sağladığını ortaya koymaktadır. Ankarada yaşayan on altı katılımcıyla yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelere dayanan araştırma, göç sürecinde yemeğin gündelik yaşamın duygusal, kültürel ve pratik boyutlarını nasıl şekillendirdiğine odaklanmaktadır. Bulgular, göçün katılımcıları daha önce farkında olmadıkları bir biçimde yemeğin anlamını yeniden değerlendirmeye ittiğini göstermektedir. At eti, kımız, sağmal, kurut gibi tanıdık tatların ve samsa, lagman, dımdıma, oromo, kuurdak ve beşparmak gibi geleneksel yemeklerin yokluğunda, katılımcılar yemeğin hafıza, aile ve aidiyetle ilişkili sembolik ve duygusal ağırlığını fark etmeye başlamıştır. Çalışmanın önemli bulgularından biri, yemekten sonra hissedilen doyma duygusunun yalnızca fiziksel olmadığı, aynı zamanda kültürel aidiyet ve duygusal iyilik haliyle ilişkili bir metafor olarak işlev gördüğüdür. Katılımcılar, Türkiyede yeterince yemek yeseler dahi, geleneksel Kırgız yemeklerinin yokluğunda hâlâ kendi yemekleri için açlık hissettiklerini ifade etmektedir. Bu açlık, özellikle psikolojik zorluk dönemlerinde ortaya çıkan ve yalnızca tanıdık tatlarla giderilebilen, kültürel ve duygusal bir ihtiyaca işaret etmektedir. Bu bağlamda, yemeğin yalnızca fiziksel değil, aynı zamanda duygusal ve kültürel bir doyum aracı olduğu görülmektedir. Araştırma, yeni bir mutfak kültürüne uyum sürecinin yalnızca yeni tatları öğrenmekten ibaret olmadığını, aynı zamanda tanıdık lezzetlerin yokluğunda rahatsızlık ve eksiklik duygularını da tetiklediğini göstermektedir. Katılımcılar, özellikle kırmızı etin Türkiyedeki tadının Kırgızistandakinden farklı olduğunu sıklıkla vurgulamıştır. Bu fark, hayvanların beslenme biçimleri ve ekolojik koşullardaki farklılıklarla açıklanmaktadır. Evde pişirilen et yemeklerinin alışılmış tadına ulaşamamak, coğrafyaya, toprak yapısına ve iklim koşullarına bağlı malzemelere erişimin önemini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, göçmenlerin kültürel açıdan anlamlı gıdalara erişimi sürdürmek için geliştirdikleri stratejileri de içermektedir. Katılımcılar, yiyecekleri bavulda taşımak, gayriresmî ağlardan faydalanmak ya da yerel alternatifleri kullanmak gibi yöntemlerle bu boşluğu doldurmaya çalışmaktadır. Her ne kadar bazı katılımcılar Türk mutfağından da keyif aldıklarını ifade etseler de, bu yeni tatlar Kırgız yemeklerinin sunduğu duygusal doyumu tam olarak karşılamamaktadır. Bunun yerine, bu durum kültürel sürekliliği koruma ve yeni ortama uyum sağlama arasında devam eden bir müzakereyi yansıtmaktadır.

Makale detayları

FOOD AS A SITE OF CULTURAL CONTINUITY, IDENTITY, AND ADAPTATION AMONG KYRGYZ MIGRANTS IN TURKIYE

Yazarlar:

Zeynep Serap Tekten

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Ana Başlıklar:

Sosyoloji (Diğer)

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 45, pp.127-149

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001348540

pISSN:

2147-2610

cultural continuty

Kyrgyz migrants

dietary acculturation

culinary culture

Kyrgyz food culture

migration and food

food and identityKırgız göçmenler

beslenme kültürüne uyum

mutfak kültürü

Kırgız yemek kültürü

göç ve yemek

yemek ve kimlik

kültürel süreklilik

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Zeynep Serap Tekten

Yayıncı: Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Ana Başlıklar: Sosyoloji (Diğer)

Dergi: Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 45, pp.127-149

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 9/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001348540

pISSN: 2147-2610

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Zeynep Serap Tekten

Yayıncı:

Ayla KAŞOĞLU

Ana Başlıklar:

Sosyoloji (Diğer)

Dergi:

Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 45, pp.127-149

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

9/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001348540

pISSN:

2147-2610