Gastronomic Memory, Women’s Labor, and Social Solidarity in Mourning Meal Practices in Turkey

Death is a transitional period that, beyond marking the end of life, involves traditional practices aimed at alleviating and sharing grief. One such practice, found across cultures in varying forms, is the tradition of mourning meals. This study examines the multidimensional social significance of social solidarity, gastronomic memory, and women’s labor within mourning meal practices in Turkey. Using a qualitative design, participants were selected through convenience sampling, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 21 women from Turkey’s seven geographic regions, then analyzed thematically. The findings show that mourning meals are organized around a division of labor grounded in social and female solidarity, that this knowledge is preserved through intergenerational transmission, and that it is closely intertwined with gender roles. Olfactory and gustatory memory emerged as powerful elements of gastronomic memory that give concrete form to the experience of mourning, although traditional practices have undergone significant transformation in recent years, driven partly by migration and urbanization. Beyond a mere nutritional practice, mourning meals in Turkey objectify shared memory across different faith communities, carrying both common ritual patterns and regional variations, with women’s labor remaining an invisible yet central element. The study conceptualizes mourning meals as a multilayered domain reproducing social bonds and cultural memory.