Authenticity Within The Scope of Sustainable Gastronomic Tourism: A Qualitative Research on Gaziantep Artisan Restaurants

Foods are associated with the geography they live in, not the society they live in. When it comes to Gaziantep cuisine, it is possible to say that its authentic dishes contain many cultures. In the province of Gaziantep, there are tradesmen restaurants run as a legacy from the ancestors who kept this culture alive. The aim of the study is to examine, within the framework of authenticity, the tradesmen restaurants operating in Gaziantep, which have survived from generation to generation without losing their essence from past to present, reflecting Gaziantep culinary culture. In the research, ethnographic case study method, among the qualitative research methods, was used. In accordance with the subject, tradesmen's restaurants serving authentic meals in the form of family businesses run by inheritance from grandfather were preferred. In this context, preliminary meetings were held with tradesmen restaurants operating in Gaziantep and connections were established. As a result of the interviews, 5 voluntary tradesman restaurants participated in the study. The research is an original study as an outcome of a project that examines the role of authentic dishes in sustainable gastronomy in the culinary culture of Gaziantep, which is the first city to enter the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Gastronomy.