The Culinary Culture and Dining Traditions of Bosnian Bosniak Immigrants: A Case Study of İstanbul's Pendik, Kartal and Bayrampaşa Districts

Abstract

Due to its geographical location, the Balkans hosted numerous empires. As a result of hosting, the cuisine culture developed and increased by diversifying through interaction with various cultures. As a result of the migrations, it was unavoidable that Bosnian and Turkish cuisine cultures would interact. This study aims to record the knowledge accumulation of firstgeneration migrants, who are elderly and difficult to reach, and second-generation migrants (40- 65 years old), and to pass it on to future generations. The study was structured as qualitative research. The homogeneous sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used to determine the sample. The study group consists of 35 Bosniak migrants from the districts of Bayrampaşa, Kartal and Pendik. In the qualitatively designed research, data were obtained through a semi-structured interview technique. In the analysis phase of the obtained data, the MAXQDA analysis program was used. In line with the findings, it can be stated that pastries and meat dishes hold a significant place in Bosnian culinary culture. Additionally, the fact that Bosniak immigrants continue their lives without assimilation, provides supportive results by B. Malinowski's functionalism theory.