In Adana, eating and drinking habits and table culture shape the daily life to a great extent. The habit of breakfast with liver and turnip, which starts at five in the morning, still continues as a ritual in Adana. The history of this food culture dates back to ancient times and, in one aspect, to feeding pigeons. Likewise, breakfast culture made with Adana Böreği, which starts at five in the morning and consumed in two to three hours, is among the indispensables of the city dwellers.
The place which is now known as “Kazancilar Bazaar” was the place where the Birds Bazaar was established in the past and where those who came to bazaar gathered around the brazier and chatted while eating tomethind.. Thus, a tradition has arisen, which is called “Ocakbasi”, where people sat together to enjoy themselves and eat. Birds Bazaar was a focal point for eating and drinking and a second bazaar was established over time next to it, which was named as the “Liver Sellers’ Bazaar”. This tradition is still living today. Kazancilar Bazaar, where people ate kebab and drank raki every Sunday from the sunrise to afternoon, is hosting the oldest brunch tradition of the world. In the December of every year, the “Kebab and Turnip Festival” where participants coming from the country and abroad to eat kebab and drink raki, also takes place in the Liver Sellers’ Bazaar.
Barbeque is a very important culture for Adana. It is a tradition to cook meat and kebab on barbeques in park areas where the families go at weekends, and almost every house in Adana has a barbeque.
Special meals are prepared in Adana on important days such as birth, wedding, holidays and death. Today, many beliefs of ritual origin are still alive. As an example of this ritual; a number of specific recipes can be given to ensure that women who are giving birth have good nutrition and maintain breast milk. This recipe, which is created by mixing molasses and red peppers by burning fat, is called “Fatty Honey”, and feeding new mothers with this mixture is a very important and traditional method in terms of breast milk productivity. Similarly, “Liver Salad” consisting of liver and onions cooked in embers and Kaynar , a mixture of seven kinds of spices, are traditional recipes prepared both for mothers who have given birth and to the guests visiting them. When the first tooth of babies comes out, the recipe called Hedik , which is produced by boiling wheat, chickpeas and beans, forms a part of Adana table culture in this context.
Many rituals are kept alive for special occasions such as weddings, engagements and promises. After requesting a girl in Adana, eating sweet is a special custom. The dessert, Turkish delight, coffee coming from the men's house that is offered to the guests for the taste of marriage, is a binding tradition . Thimble soup is the most important wedding meal. This traditional dish, which is very laborious to make, is one of the special Adana delicacies served with dough, meat and paste sauce.
Ceremonies are held at the funeral home in Adana on the third, seventh and fortieth days, and special meals are prepared in memory of the deceased. Following a funeral; on the third day, halva is served, and on the seventh and fortieth days, special meals made from mutton are served to the guests coming to the condolences.
Kömbe is one of the tastes that are still widely used in Adana today, especially served during holidays and during Ramadan. “Kömbe”, a kind of cookies made with flour, sugar, yeast, milk, peanut and sesame seeds, is a special Adana flavor that can be preserved for months.
