Çorum gastronomy on the road to UNESCO: what do the bid and geographical indication products mean for local identity, pride and the family table?
When you tell people in another city that you are from Çorum, the first reaction is often the same: "Leblebi!" (the famous roasted chickpeas). A city's name becoming synonymous with a food is something that makes people smile but also gives pause for thought. In recent years this association has been turning into a broader story: in 2026, Çorum gastronomy took a step forward when the city officially launched the process of joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, and the number of geographical indication products in the province reached at least 31. Culinary heritage is becoming the city's second major axis of identity, alongside its Hittite heritage. So how does a city's food affect the way the people who live there see themselves? Does turning a recipe into a "brand" strengthen the meaning attached to it, or does it take something away? In this article I will address these questions in the light of data and psychology.
Çorum's Gastronomic Heritage: What Do the Numbers Say?
Let us start with the concrete data. Çorum leblebi received geographical indication registration in 2002. According to information reported in the business press, Çorum is one of three centres in Turkey with a geographical indication for leblebi. According to the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, leblebi production is based on a tradition of around 300 years, and masters serve an apprenticeship of at least 8–10 years.
Çorum is also in a strong position in chickpeas, the raw material of leblebi. According to a statement by the provincial agriculture directorate, in 2023 some 32,500 tonnes of chickpeas were produced on approximately 23,852 hectares in the province, putting Çorum fourth in Turkey for this crop.
There has also been rapid growth in the number of geographical indication products. As of May 2026, the province's number of geographical indication products is reported as 31; some newspaper columns mention higher figures, but these have not been officially confirmed. İskilip alone has reached 10 geographical indication products: in addition to İskilip dolma, pickles, strawberries, vinegar salad, Ramadan keşkek, yırtma and baklava, the list also includes the tokmaklı kağnı (a traditional ox cart), the gourd and the tray.
In the gastronomy field of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Turkey had previously been represented by Gaziantep (2015), Hatay (2017) and Afyonkarahisar (2019). Çorum's application process was officially launched in 2026; its outcome is not yet known.
The limits of this data should also be stated: the number of leblebi manufacturers and annual production volumes could not be found in official sources; a 2018 news report mentions around 200 businesses, counting manufacturing and retail together. Nor could I find any research measuring the effect of gastronomic identity on people from Çorum. The interpretations below are therefore grounded in data but make no claim to certainty.
A Sociological Reading: Why Is Food a Matter of Identity?
Food is one of humanity's oldest markers of identity. Although the saying "You are what you eat" is a little exaggerated, it is no coincidence that people turn to food when describing where they come from. The table is a space where the values of a family, a neighbourhood and a city are reproduced every day.
Possible factors that may play a role in Çorum's culinary heritage becoming part of its identity include:
- Being concrete and shareable: Hittite heritage is fascinating but can remain abstract in daily life. A packet of leblebi, on the other hand, is something tangible that can be given as a gift to a friend in another city. Identity is carried more easily through objects that can be shared.
- Migration and longing: For people from Çorum living in other cities, a parcel from home is tangible proof of belonging. Food is the easiest bond with a distant hometown.
- Economic value: Geographical indication and a possible UNESCO title increase the economic value of local products. A tradition that gains economic value may become more attractive to young people.
- Transmission between generations: Recipes are often passed on unwritten, from mother to daughter or from master to apprentice. This transmission is part of family memory.
- Competition and visibility: Cities such as Gaziantep, Hatay and Afyonkarahisar becoming known for their gastronomic identity may have stirred a feeling in other cities that "Our cuisine is every bit as valuable as theirs."
The example of İskilip is striking in this respect. A single district appearing on the geographical indication list with ten separate products shows that local identity is strong not only at provincial level but at district level too. The presence on the list of handmade items such as the tokmaklı kağnı and the tray, alongside dishes, reminds us that culinary heritage is not limited to the table; it is intertwined with the crafts that produce it and with everyday life. Çorum gastronomy can thus be read not merely as a menu but as a summary of a way of life.
Then there is the question of rhythm. Traditional dishes that require long cooking times and resting stages offer an experience of time that is the very opposite of fast-paced life. The production of leblebi, with its long resting processes, or the hours of preparation that go into wedding and holiday dishes, remind us of the value of patience and waiting. In a speed-driven world, this can give people a familiar and calming sense of time.
These factors make no claim to definite causation; but they show that a city's turn towards telling its story through food has both economic and emotional reasons.
The Psychological Meaning of Çorum's Gastronomic Identity
From a psychological point of view, having a shared heritage can nourish what is known as collective self-esteem. People draw strength not only from their own achievements but also from the value of the group they belong to. The feeling that "My city's food has made it onto the UNESCO list" can be a meaningful source of pride, especially for someone who feels small or invisible in a big city.
This pride serves several positive functions:
Belonging: A shared cuisine gives people a sense of "us". Sharing the same dish at a holiday table is one of the most concrete expressions of belonging to a family and a community. I discussed this in more detail in my article on the need to belong.
Continuity: Being able to cook today the dish your grandmother used to make gives an inner sense of continuity at a time when life is constantly changing. The smells of food are among the stimuli that evoke memories most powerfully.
Mastery and being valued: The people who put effort into the kitchen — especially women, whose kitchen labour often remains invisible — may become more visible and valued thanks to gastronomic identity.
But there is another side to the coin. When a tradition turns into a "brand", some loss of meaning can also occur:
- Standardisation: Geographical indication and commercial production can fix a "correct" version of a recipe. Yet in home cooking every family has its own touch. The feeling that "The dolma we make at home doesn't match the registered recipe" can lead to a small but real sense of alienation.
- Showcase pressure: Becoming a city of gastronomy can turn food into a performance staged for guests. The intimacy of the table can be overshadowed by the worry of "looking good".
- Invisible labour: A dish becoming famous does not automatically lighten the load of the person who spends hours preparing it at home. Pride can sometimes make that labour even more expected.
What makes a dish precious is not only its recipe, but who cooks it, for whom, and with what longing.
The Table, the Family and the Generations
The recipe booklets of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism include examples such as wedding soup and the dishes served at weddings. These dishes are not just recipes; they are the memory of moments when families come together. Food shared at a wedding, a religious holiday or a house of mourning sends people the message "You are not alone."
However, the meaning of the table is also changing between generations. For a young couple, a weekday dinner may have to be quick and practical; for that couple's parents, the table is a ritual that takes hours to prepare and at which everyone is together. Let us say a mother sees her daughter ordering takeaway for a holiday instead of making the traditional dishes, and perceives this as a kind of break with the past. Her daughter, meanwhile, is exhausted by her workload and feels guilty for not living up to her mother's expectations. In this small scene, gastronomic heritage can turn into family tension.
The way to ease this tension is not to see tradition as "all or nothing". Making some dishes together, recording recipes, sharing the load and allowing each generation to find its own way keep the heritage alive without crushing anyone. I also explore the link between food and memory in my article on food, memory and identity in Çorum.
Suggestions for a Healthy Relationship With Culinary Heritage
Some suggestions for turning culinary heritage into a nourishing resource at both individual and community level:
- Record recipes and stories together. When writing down your elders' recipes, ask not only about the ingredients but also about the memories linked to that dish. This preserves family memory and helps older people feel valued.
- Share the kitchen work. Instead of placing dishes that require long preparation on one person's shoulders, divide tasks among family members. Preparing food together also means being together before the meal.
- Allow for flexibility. Making a traditional dish in a different way is not a betrayal of tradition. Each generation keeps heritage alive by adapting it to its own circumstances.
- Don't let pride turn into comparison. Saying "This is the story of our cuisine" rather than "Our cuisine is superior to others" strengthens identity without excluding anyone.
- Invite children into the kitchen. Taking part in preparing food gives children both skills and a sense of belonging. Even small tasks give them the feeling "I am part of this family."
- Connect with those far away. Sharing recipes with family members who live in other cities, or cooking together over a video call, keeps the bond alive despite the distance.
For institutions, building gastronomic identity not only on promotion but also on respect for the work of local producers and master craftspeople can help that identity become more lasting and inclusive.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
For most people, culinary heritage is a source of enjoyment and pride. In some cases, however, tensions around the table and family expectations can become draining. It may be helpful to talk to a professional in the following situations:
- if you feel intense anxiety, tension or exhaustion before religious holidays and family gatherings,
- if the burden of cooking and housework constantly leaves you feeling tired, angry or worthless,
- if you feel intense guilt because you cannot meet your family's expectations,
- if the longing and loneliness that come with living far from your hometown are affecting your daily life,
- if family conflicts around food are clearly damaging your relationships.
These signs do not on their own amount to a diagnosis; but they may show that you need a space where you can talk about your load.
How Are Belonging, Family Expectations and Identity Addressed in Therapy?
Food and the family table are rarely the direct subject of therapy; but they frequently come up through themes such as belonging, family expectations, care work and guilt. In the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach, thoughts such as "If I don't make the traditional dishes, I'm not a good daughter-in-law" or "If I can't cook as well as my mother, I'm inadequate" are identified and evaluated with more balanced alternatives.
Concrete steps can be planned around the division of roles in the family, setting boundaries and sharing the load. For people living far from their hometown, building a sense of belonging in their new place, managing longing and maintaining a healthy bond with home are topics that can be worked on in therapy.
In the sessions I hold in Çorum, both face to face and online, I see that a person's bond with their city occupies an important place in their identity. In individual therapy, talking about the ways in which this bond can be both a strength and a burden can help a person find their own balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Çorum a UNESCO city of gastronomy?
In 2026, Çorum officially launched the application process to join the gastronomy field of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The outcome is not yet known. From Turkey, Gaziantep, Hatay and Afyonkarahisar had previously joined the network in the field of gastronomy.
How many geographical indication products does Çorum have?
According to information reported as of May 2026, Çorum has at least 31 geographical indication products, 10 of which belong to İskilip. Although higher figures appear in some sources, these have not been officially confirmed.
Why is food such a powerful marker of identity?
Food is an experience that is repeated every day, shared, and passed down from generation to generation. Smells and tastes evoke memories powerfully. This is why people so often turn to food when describing the place and the family they belong to.
Preparing the holiday meal exhausts me — is this normal?
Meals that require long preparation can be very tiring, especially when the burden falls on one person. It is important to voice this tiredness and to share tasks among family members. If the tiredness gives way to constant exhaustion or anger, you might consider seeking support.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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