Mapping the intellectual structure of intangible cultural heritage research in gastronomy: A bibliometric analysis
Type of paper: Research Article
Authors
Ramazan Karaman
Hayriye Duman
Corresponding AuthorHow to Cite
Karaman, R. & Duman, H. (2026). Mapping the intellectual structure of intangible cultural heritage research in gastronomy: A bibliometric analysis. CACTUS - Journal of Tourism Business, Management and Economics, 8 (2).
© 2026 The Author(s);
Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the evolution and intellectual structure of the literature on intangible cultural heritage in the field of gastronomy over time through bibliometric analysis. The research dataset was obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database and includes a total of 3,155 articles and review studies indexed in SCI, SSCI, ESCI, and AHCI between 2006 and 2025. The data were analyzed using VOSviewer software to reveal publication trends, prominent countries, influential authors and journals, citation relationships, collaboration networks, and thematic transformation in the research area. The analysis results show a significant increase in the number of publications, especially since the mid-2010s, and indicate that intangible cultural heritage research in the context of gastronomy is becoming an increasingly visible and institutionalized academic field. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the field is not limited to gastronomy alone; it has an interdisciplinary structure that develops in interaction with subfields of cultural studies, sustainability, tourism, anthropology, and the social sciences. When evaluated by country, Spain and Italy are among the leading countries in terms of both publication productivity and citations. However, the increase in academic contributions from developing countries indicates that the research field has a wider geographical spread. Keyword association and thematic mapping results show that the research focus has changed over time. While conservation and preservation themes were prominent in early studies, current research shows that topics such as sustainability, local development, food identity, cultural tourism, community participation, and sociocultural transformation have gained importance. In conclusion, this study examines the development of intangible cultural heritage research in gastronomy from a holistic perspective and provides a guiding framework for future interdisciplinary studies.
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References
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