A comprehensive research was conducted by the Faculty of Tourism at Atatürk University on the districts of Erzurum. The Gastronomy Inventory Workshop, which is conducted in the districts, is designed to identify and advance the region's gastronomic assets.

"Gastronomy Inventory Workshops" were conducted in six districts of Erzurum to emphasize the gastronomic heritage of the city and its districts. The workshops were chaired by Prof. Dr. Gökalp Nuri Selçuk and Assoc. Prof. Neslihan Serçeoğlu, both of whom are faculty members of the Tourism Faculty at Atatürk University. The purpose of these workshops was to disclose the gastronomy inventory as part of the Scientific Research Project for the doctoral thesis, "Determining the Gastronomy Routes of Erzurum Province and Making the Region a Smart Tourism Destination and Developing the Required Software Model: Mixed Method Research."

The Gastronomy Route is to be developed to encompass provinces and districts.

The Districts Gastronomy Inventory Workshop, which was organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Tourism and Vocational Schools, was held at Tortum Vocational School on April 25. The second workshop was held at Oltu Vocational School on May 2, the third at İspir Hamza Polat Vocational School on May 7, and the fourth at Aşkale Vocational School on May 10. The sixth one was concluded on May 21 at Horasan Vocational School with intense participation, and the fifth one was completed on May 14 at Hınıs Vocational School.

The workshop conducted a comprehensive examination of the districts' distinctive culinary cultures, local flavors, and gastronomic potential. Academicians, local producers, and gastronomy specialists in the districts convened and exchanged information during the workshop, which was attended by faculty members and students of the Atatürk University Faculty of Tourism.

The opinions and perspectives of the guests were ascertained through the acquisition of information regarding local dishes, local products, edible wild plants and edible mushrooms, local producers, farms, women producers and their labor, agricultural and food products produced in the districts, forgotten products specific to the districts, lost values, and marketable products during workshops. The workshops were carried out in accordance with their recommendations. The gastronomic heritage of Erzurum's districts was to be revealed through the development of a gastronomy route that encompassed the city center and districts, in accordance with the information that was obtained.

"The Gastronomic Heritage of Erzurum Is Rich in Potential"

The dean of the Faculty of Tourism and the Chairman of the Workshop, Prof. Dr. Gökalp Nuri Selçuk  assessed the workshop, noting that these events are a component of the university and faculty's mission to reflect academic knowledge on the field. She further stated that Erzurum's rich gastronomic heritage has significant potential in both the cultural and economic sectors. By exposing this potential, the Gastronomy Inventory Workshop will enhance the value of both our city and our university. The workshop organized in this direction to Erzurum has made significant contributions to the region by promoting local gastronomy culture at both national and international levels, increasing tourism potential, and supporting regional development. In addition, the university's pioneering of these disciplines enables students to apply their academic knowledge and acquire field experience.

"The Workshop's findings will furnish critical information."

Gökalp declared that the workshop's findings would be disseminated through academic publications and diverse reports. He further stated, "Gastronomy is not only a method of nutrition, but also a cultural heritage." We will make every effort to preserve this legacy and extend it into the future. Important data that will inform Erzurum's tourism strategies in the future will be obtained from the workshop's outcomes. The region's tourist appeal will be enhanced, and economic development will be facilitated by the dissemination of local delicacies to a broader audience. "With these feelings, I would like to thank our Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı and our Vocational School administrators, academicians, sector representatives and students, who contributed to the productive progress of the workshop from start to finish," he indicated.

Corporate Communication Directorate – June 5, 2024