Plateau Cuisine Culture as a Cultural Heritage: The Case of Gümüşhane

Abstract

The large area of the mountainous and rugged areas in Türkiye have enabled the development of plateau activities and plateau culture. Plateaus, which are traditionally used for animal husbandry in Türkiye, have a characteristic of temporary settlement areas that are used for grazing animals, for small-scale agricultural activities or holiday in the summer months. Gümüşhane (especially the lands in the north of the province) and its surroundings, where agricultural lands are narrow and fragmented, are among the areas where plateaus activities the most intense in our country. The plateaus, where the grass stays green for a long time, have significance for the people who are busy with animal husbandry in the region. Highlands, besides having various features, are also almost a hidden treasure of a cultural accumulation. Communities who changed their places for thousands of years between the plateau and winter season for animal husbandry first in Central Asia and then in Anatolia, they have evolved their culture as a result of their economic activities and geographical areas. Plateau cuisine is one of the most important elements of this culture. Plateau cuisine is one of the indis-pensable phenomena of plateau life, which has been practiced for centuries in Turkish social life. Plateau cuisine culture has gained a private identity with the addition of distinctive elements in many ways by time. Formation of culinary culture effected by many aspects. Such as; geographical region, socio-economic struc-ture, traditions and customs, agriculture, animal husbandry, and technological developments. In the scope of this study, the last point reached by the plateau cuisine culture, which is a cultural heritage element, has been handled, and the positive and negative aspects of the plateau cuisine culture have been discussed in terms of development. To determine the current situation regarding the plateau cuisine on-site, the Gümüşhane plateaus were carried out, where is one of the provinces of the Eastern Black Sea Region. The scope of these studies yielded with many interviews who are becoming highland residents, headmen, business owners, and various stakeholders. According to analyses, the plateau cuisine culture was categorized into four main themes and ten sub-themes. These four main themes constitute the basic structure of the Gümüşhane plateau cuisine culture; it was concluded that animal products, agricultural products, local products, edible wild plants, and mushrooms. Each categorized theme was evaluated in the findings section based on the statements of the participants, observation and secondary data. Moreover, there is a decrease in the number of animals herded and the amount of cultivated land in the plateaus, the amount of animal and agricultural products produced by the plateau people in the past was high, but nowadays the households living in the plateaus are trying to produce enough for themselves in general, from the markets established in the central plateaus or from the markets close to the districts, and it was determined that they bought their basic needs. In addition, local foods made in the plateau are listed and it has been observed that the local food culture continues by using products specific to the region. Finally, suggestions have been offered to keep alive the plateau cuisine culture, ensure its continuity and transmit it to future generations as a cultural element. © 2024, Milli Folklor Dergisi. All rights reserved.