Janna Tamargo
After traveling to over 40 countries across all 7 continents, Janna Tamargo's passion for food and culture deepened. A pivotal dining experience in Milan, where she shared a table with strangers, ignited her curiosity about food’s role in building social connections. This interest took her to Istanbul, where she studied the sociology of food at Boğaziçi University, focusing on the evolving concept of authenticity in meyhane culture.
Her research has gained international recognition, including winning a prestigious scholar award for her study on meyhane, a type of restaurant in Turkey that has existed since the Byzantine era. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone Italia, and she has also researched authenticity in 70 Italian restaurants across Florida. Her global fieldwork continues to shape her insights into the intersection of food, culture, and authenticity.