Published: American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATADC), ATA News, April 2026 , "THE JOY OF FOOD" Barley’s journey started in the Fertile Crescent around 9600-6400 BC, according to a 2019 research paper titled “Barley in Archaeology and Early History”, (Simone Riehl, Oxford Academic). This period marks the very beginning of the early agricultural revolution and early Neolithic farmer cultures. That was long before the rise of any organized civilization like the Sumerians, which...

Published: American TurkNetwork Magazine, Washington DC, April 2026 , "CULINARY CHRONICLES " The International Franchise Association highlights Benjamin Franklin as the first American to franchise a business concept, long before the term existed. He’s widely regarded as the “Father of franchising in the USA”. He expanded his printing business using franchise-like partnerships in the 1730s, developing a system that remarkably resembled franchising. Brand reputation, standardized tools,...

Published: American TurkNetwork Magazine, Washington DC, March 2026 , "CULINARY CHRONICLES " Have you noticed that many healthy eating blogs are now talking about “humus” instead of “chickpea”? The traditional foods have become commercialized. Commercialization is not a bad thing; in fact, it’s one of the main locomotives of the economy. Commercial products help ingredients travel, become visible, and enter people’s daily lives. However, commercialization shouldn’t define an entire...