When in Turkey [Assessment]

We can’t avoid experiencing ‘culture shock’ when it comes to traveling. I am no exception either. Every time I go on a trip, I’m surprised how different other countries’ cultures are compared to mine, Japanese culture. I’ll focus on the differences in food and eating habits between Turkey and Japan in this post.

There is a difference in what you can/can’t get for free in a restaurant. In Turkey, you have to pay for water, but instead, you can get bread for free. You can take as much as you want. Turkey is known as the country with the largest per capita consumption of bread, which is equivalent to 200kg per person. Turkish bread is all called ‘Ekmek’ in general―the outside is crispy and the inside is soft and chewy―which goes well with Turkish food. Rice is a staple food in Japan but you won’t get it for free.

Also, Turkish people love yogurt. They use it for everything; they eat rice, bread, meat, soup…(whatever might be) with yogurt. Yogurt originated in Turkey, and you can see many kinds of yogurt if you go to a supermarket.

This is surprising for us since we’ve never had yogurt with salty things. In Japan, instead, we use soy sauce for everything. We eat rice, meat, fish, eggs or pasta with soy sauce.

There are a lot more things to write about, but what I want to think about is how this kind of ‘the experience of difference’ might make you feel or react. Sometimes, we feel uncomfortable and reject to adapt to the culture before we try to understand, or if not, you might be in ‘cultural confusion’.

To minimize these ‘cultural shock’ or ‘cultural convention’, it would be useful to look up some social norms or conventions of countries you’re gonna visit in advance. Also, the most important thing is trying to be open-minded and flexible. Just enjoy your experience of difference; even if it’s not acceptable, try not to reject, but be curious. When in Rome, do as the Romans do:)