The recent emergence of the concepts of "Kitchen" and "Gastronomy" with the support of social media has been considered a positive development for the preservation and enhancement of regional cuisines. This is mainly due to the inclusion of unique products from regional cuisines under the scope of geographical indications, thereby creating an image for them. In the context of gastronomic tourism marketing for regional cuisines, the awareness and perceptions of the local population regarding their regional cuisine are of paramount importance. Therefore, this study aims to determine the awareness of the people of Tokat regarding the image and dishes of Tokat cuisine.

In this study, the perceived image of Tokat cuisine, the assessment of the authenticity of its dishes, and the frequency of cooking Tokat cuisine dishes were measured. As a result of the study, it is observed that the general perception of Tokat cuisine among the local population is predominantly positive. The people of Tokat consider 29 dishes to be unique to Tokat cuisine, while 3 dishes are not seen as unique. There is no clear opinion on the uniqueness of 35 dishes. According to the findings, women cook 10 dishes once a year, while men cook 3 dishes once a month, 1 dish once a year, and 1 dish more than 4 times a month. There is no significant difference in the frequency of cooking 52 dishes based on gender.