Determination of the Specific Qualities of Street Foods: A Metaphor Study on Backpackers

Abstract

Backpackers are individuals who aim to closely experience the local culture and traditions, engage in social interactions with communities, and participate in the lives of local communities during their travels to tourist destinations. These travelers prefer independent, flexible, and longer journeys. They act with a focus on experiential travel along with sustainable travel practices for preserving the natural environment. They especially have the desire to participate in local festivals, visit local markets, and experience local dishes and street food. The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of backpackers, an important element of gastronomic tourism, regarding street tastes through metaphors. The participants of the study consist of 109 backpackers who are active on social media platforms such as #sirtcantaligezginler, #interrailturkiye, and #couchsurfingturkiye. The phenomenology design, a qualitative research method, was employed in the study, and the purpose and content of the study were communicated to the backpackers. The data of the study were obtained by having the participants complete the sentence "Street tastes are like ......... for me. Because ..........". The participants' responses were classified based on frequency rates using content analysis for data analysis. Furthermore, a map of the words in the texts was created using the MAXQDA program. As a result, a total of 93 metaphors and 9 categorized themes for these metaphors were identified. It was determined that the theme with the highest number of metaphors is "presenting local flavors," and among all metaphors, the most commonly mentioned metaphor is the word "rainbow."