A Conceptual Evaluation of Syriac Culinary Culture in the Context of Cultural Identity and Living Heritage

Abstract

Syriac culinary culture can be considered a manifestation of the historical, religious and social experiences shaped around Mardin and Tur Abdin. This conceptual review examines Syriac cuisine not merely as a set of dishes but as a cultural field related to cultural identity, religious practices, cultural memory, intergenerational transmission, migration and living heritage. The study reviews direct studies on Syriac cuisine together with broader literature on food, identity, memory and intangible cultural heritage and synthesizes the literature thematically. The literature indicates that culinary practices contribute to the everyday reproduction of identity and belonging; religious occasions and communal meals support cultural memory and intergenerational transmission; and migration may transform culinary practices while also enabling their reproduction in new contexts. The study concludes that safeguarding Syriac culinary culture requires more than documenting recipes: the people, knowledge, practices and meanings that sustain this heritage should be considered together.