A scientific seminar was held at the Department of Ritual Folklore and National Culinary Traditions of the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS). Alongside the staff of the department, researchers from the Department of Mythology also attended the seminar.

During the seminar, Aghaverdi Khalil, Head of the Department, Doctor of Sciences in Philology and Associate Professor, made a presentation entitled “The Place and Role of Virtual Space in the Formation of National Culinary Identity”.

The presentation highlighted the importance of studying the rich culinary traditions of the Azerbaijani people in the context of globalization and digitalization. It was noted that national cuisine was not merely a form of cultural heritage preserved at family tables, in everyday life and during ceremonies, but also a cultural value presented and promoted through social networks, video-sharing platforms, electronic encyclopedias, blogs and digital archives.

The presentation drew attention to the role of virtual space in introducing national dishes to wider audiences by sharing their preparation methods, origins, regional characteristics, connections with rituals and symbolic meanings. At the same time, issues such as the modification of traditional recipes in digital environments, the simplified presentation of dishes and disputes over their national origins were also examined.

The seminar analyzed the influence of platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, as well as electronic encyclopedias, digital archives and tourism portals, on the formation of national culinary identity.

Concluding his presentation Aghaverdi Khalil noted that while virtual space contributes to the preservation and strengthening of national culinary identity, it also influenced the selection and modification of traditional culinary knowledge and the emergence of new meanings associated with it. Therefore, the scientific analysis of digital culinary content was of considerable importance for preserving national cultural heritage, promoting Azerbaijani cuisine internationally and developing gastronomic tourism.

The seminar concluded with an exchange of views and discussions on the topic.