Grains: An Interactive Documentary on Food and Migration
This link takes you to a series of short films created in Asst. Prof. Zeynep Merve Uygun Azizoglu's COD 301 Studio Class with the collaboration of Assoc. Prof. Susan Beth Rottmann and Zeliha Inci Asal (MA). The project began with Susan introducing the topic of food and migration (the subject of her on-going Tubitak project) to students. She then attended several project feedback sessions during which she viewed rough drafts of the films and explained more about food culture and the challenges of migrants in Turkey. İnci and Merve hoca created a concept with the students around the metaphor of "grains." Each student picked a grain, such as wheat, chickpeas, coffee, rice, etc. They visited and filmed migrant restaurants and neighborhoods and conducted short interviews. Then, they told a story that aimed to underline the message that although the grains are alone and small, when they come together, they are powerful, like migrants. In short, the project's main idea is to show the relationship between food and migration while increasing empathy among students and viewers towards migrants in Turkey.
İlk saha gezisi
21 Ocak 2023 - Muluhiye yemeği hazırlarken
Shopping for Syrian food
Internal accounting & sales data, in addition to external market and economic indicators
First field visit at a Syrian house
Preparation of a Syrian-Turkmen vegetable patty dish called al-aje ( العجة)
Syrian food in İstanbul
Gathering with friends at a Syrian şamiyat restaurant serving falafel, hummus, and foul.
Syrian food in Istanbul
Syrian food in Istanbul
Gathering with a Syrian family and eating Fried Kibbeh, Chicken Maqlubeh (rice with vegetables), and Kibbeh Labaniyeh (Kibbeh in yoghurt sauce, mint, and garlic).
Team iftar in Istanbul
Project team members and their families came together at the Suleymaniye Mosque's Yard
Potluck dinner for iftar at Suleymaniye
Müceddere, ma'ruk, salads, kuru patlican dolma, börek, cheesecake, Iraqi kibbeh, and cholocate chip cookies
Ramadan gathering with Syrian friends
Kunafeh (or Knafeh) is a popular dessert in Syria and the Middle East in general. It is consumed especially during Ramadan. The photo was taken in a Syrian house in Istanbul during Ramadan and shows two different kinds of Knafeh.
Rice pudding (Riz bi- Haleeb)
A traditional Syrian dessert that contains milk, sugar, short grain rice, stratch, mastic crystals, and vanilla.
Garnished with pistachios and served cold on special occasions. This delicious recipe was offered during the team members' visit to the house of a Syrian woman in Istanbul on April 28, 2023.
Food made with love at the Iftar gathering of the research team with a Syrian woman in Istanbul during Ramadan on April 07, 2023.
A Taste from Aleppo Cuisine: Mansaf Freekah
Freekeh grain is popular in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. Therefore, there are many ways of cooking and serving Freekeh dish in Syria. The pictures show the method of serving (Mansaf Freekeh) according to Aleppo cuisine.
Ramadan Gathering with Friends
Qatayef Asafiri is a popular dessert in Syria and many parts of the Middle East during Ramadan. It is a mini pancake filled with cream, dipped in pistachios, and served with syrup.
Ramadan Gathering with Friends
Qatayef is a crunchy and sweet dish served during Ramadan in Syria and the Middle East. It is a pancake filled with cream or nuts, fried, then dipped in syrup. The photo was taken during a team member's iftar visit to her Syrian friends in Istanbul.
Syrian Tastes in Istanbul: Kibbeh
Grilled Kibbeh is kibbeh dough stuffed with minced lamb and nuts, then cooked by grilling. It is a delicious and traditional Syrian dish.
Syrian Tastes in Istanbul: Kibbeh and Tabbouleh
Grilled Kibbeh with Tabbouleh (Mediterranean herb and bulgur salad) as a side dish, served in a Syrian restaurant.
Field Visit at a Syrian House
In this field visit to a Syrian woman in Fatih district in Istanbul, she made Harak Osbao حراق اصبعو. The dish name is so funny; it literally means "burned his finger". It is a traditional Syrian dish and is particularly famous in Damascus. It is a delicious, sweet, and sour stew made of lentils, dough, or Eriste, and garnished with coriander, garlic, crispy onions, crispy pieces of bread, and pomegranate seeds.
Homemade pickles as a Mouneh
Mouneh is a traditional Syrian practice of storing large quantities of food at home, and one of the methods of preparing Mouneh is pickling. Bottles of pickles, an essential part of the Syrian Mouneh were found in a Syrian woman’s house during our fieldwork in Istanbul.