Dilek ÇOŞAN

Yılmaz SEÇİM

Ethnic variety is a sign of a community’s difference and cultural richness. Turkey hosts many different ethnic communities, who have made significant contributions to its cultural richness. Laz community is an important oen of such communities. This study has been carried out in order to shed light upon the cuisine, language and culture of this community. The main aim here is to record and maintain the cultural elements about this community, which is about to be forgotten. The sources of the study is comprised of eight persons, of Laz origin, living in Trabzon, Rize and Artvin provinces. Special attention is paid in order to do the study with people, who are not degeneretad, still maintaining their culture and ethnic characteristics. Therefore, we attempted to find people who still speak the Laz language, and celebrate the special days of the culture. In the collection of data, semi-formal interview technique was used. During the interview, questions about their language, local cuisine and culture were asked. Some questions were generated depending on the answers they gave. The data collected from the interview were recorded. Asa result of the study, it was understood that they still have a wide variety of foods, which they keep on making at home, and various cultural paractices. It is also discovered that their cuisine practices have influenced the general cuisine of Black Sea region to a large extent. Yet, the number of studies carried out about this community is very small, which has limited the wscope of this study.

Keywords: Ethnic Cuisine, Black Sea Cuisine Culture, Culture, Laz, Laz Cuisine Culture