Siirt Büryanı Örnekleminde Yemek Kültürü ve Toplumsal Değişim
Food Culture and Social Change in the Case of Siirt Büryan

Summary/Abstract: Besides being one of the most fundamental biological needs of human beings, food encompasses multilayered social, psychological, historical, cultural, and classbased meanings that go beyond mere nourishment. Therefore, seeing food solely as a physiological necessity means neglecting its sociocultural dimensions. Issues such as what is eaten or not, and how certain foods are prepared are not merely shaped by individual preferences; they are also determined by social belief systems, geographical conditions and climatic structures. In this context, it is evident that food culture is closely related to social structures and cultural norms. This study aims to analyze the relationship between food and culture, the impact of cultural change on food and the inter-communal competition that emerges through food culture. Büryan, a traditional dish from Siirt province, was used as a sample, and research data was collected through in-depth interviews with büryan masters. The interviews revealed that significant cultural transformations have occurred in the büryan cooking tradition. It was found out that the principle of seasonality has weakened due to technological advances in agriculture and animal husbandry and access to food has become increasingly detached from temporal contexts and has become a constant. Furthermore, with the increasing prevalence of eating out, the venues where büryan is consumed, the presentation methods and the accompanying dishes have all undergone transformations. One significant indicator of change is the increasing presence of women in büryan halls that traditionally occupied solely by men. Furthermore, it has been observed that food culture, as a representation of historical and cultural identities, has become a source of competition between cities and regions. In this context, the cultural rivalry for büryan between Siirt and Bitlis is also included in the scope of this study. The study demonstrates that food and food culture are dynamic, influenced by social and cultural changes and can also shape these processes. Having imbued with beliefs, historical context, symbols and rituals, food is considered a crucial component of cultural transmission and identity construction.

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