Figure 1.
Overall perception of the attributes of local traditional foods and beverages recently consumed by tourists in the city of Latacunga
| Factors | Likert scale: 1 [poor] to 5 [excellent] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Mean | SD | |
| Attributes | 4.1 | 0.9 | |||||
| Freshness | 0.0 | 1.0 | 13.4 | 40.3 | 45.3 | 4.3 | 0.7 |
| Price-quality relationship | 1.0 | 3.8 | 23.0 | 34.5 | 37.6 | 4.0 | 0.9 |
| Taste | 1.0 | 2.9 | 11.5 | 39.3 | 45.3 | 4.3 | 0.8 |
| Texture, smell, appearance | 1.0 | 3.8 | 17.3 | 36.5 | 41.5 | 4.1 | 0.9 |
| Authenticity | 1.0 | 1.0 | 17.3 | 38.4 | 42.4 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
| Food plating/presentation | 2.8 | 5.6 | 23.5 | 36.7 | 31.3 | 3.9 | 1.0 |
| Nutritious | 0.0 | 5.0 | 20.9 | 38.9 | 35.2 | 4.0 | 0.9 |
| Easy preparation without the use of sophisticated tools or ingredients | 2.3 | 2.3 | 13.9 | 48.7 | 32.8 | 4.1 | 0.9 |
| All ingredients used are easily found in local or national markets | 1.2 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 42.9 | 45.5 | 4.3 | 0.8 |
Tourists’ sociodemographic characteristics and travel behaviour_ SD = standard deviation
| Sociodemographic profile | Frequency | % | Mean | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | ||||
| 18–34 | 328 | 73.7 | ||
| 35–50 | 92 | 20.7 | ||
| Over 50 | 25 | 5.6 | ||
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 285 | 64.0 | ||
| Male | 160 | 36.0 | ||
| Disability | ||||
| No | 427 | 96.0 | ||
| Yes | 18 | 4.0 | ||
| Residence | ||||
| Regional (from provinces or cities near Latacunga or Central Ecuador) | 237 | 53.3 | ||
| National (from provinces or cities far away from Latacunga) | 141 | 31.7 | ||
| International | 67 | 15.0 | ||
| Monthly income | ||||
| >1000 USD | 124 | 28.2 | ||
| 400–1000 USD | 225 | 51.0 | ||
| <400 USD | 96 | 21.8 | ||
| Education level | ||||
| Higher education | 412 | 92.6 | ||
| Less than higher education | 33 | 7.4 | ||
| Primary journey purpose | ||||
| Cultural historic visit (religious and historic events, festival, parades, etc.) | 23 | 5.2 | ||
| Gastronomic visit (food festivals, traditional restaurants, local food, markets) | 392 | 88.1 | ||
| Visiting friends | 20 | 4.5 | ||
| Visiting family | 10 | 2.2 | ||
| Behaviour | ||||
| Had previously visited Latacunga | 351 | 78.9 | ||
| Number of previous visits to Latacunga (within the last 12 months) | 4.7 | 3.1 | ||
| Number of persons currently travelling with interviewed visitor | 2.1 | 1.2 | ||
| Length of stay (in nights) | 1.8 | 0.8 | ||
| Number of cultural attractions attended during the visit, including historic, religious, art, festivals, parades, sports and social events | 1.2 | 0.4 | ||
| Number of gastronomic attractions attended during the visit, including street food festivals and traditional restaurants | 3.3 | 0.5 | ||
| Amount of money spent per day on food and beverages? | ||||
| >50 USD | 221 | 49.7 | ||
| 20–50 USD | 172 | 38.7 | ||
| <20 USD | 52 | 11.6 |
Emblematic dishes and beverages of Latacunga local cuisine – declared National Gastronomic Heritage – and their respective origins, ingredients, and nutritional information
| Traditional dish | International name | Origin | Description and ingredients | Nutritional facts based on a serving of 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llapingacho | Fried mashed potato patties | Andean (pre-Hispanic and post-colonial) | Fried mashed potato patties, cheese, fried chorizo and egg, avocado, beetroot, and peanut sauce on the side | Protein (12.68 g), fats (12.10 g), calcium (56.20 mg), iron (2.20 mg), vitamin A (0.36 mg), vitamin C (6 mg) |
| Papas con cuy | Guinea pig with potatoes | Andean (pre-Hispanic and post-colonial) | Roasted guinea pig, boiled potatoes, spicy peanut sauce | Protein (17.50 g), fats (16.50 g), calcium (9.00 mg), iron (1.80 mg), vitamin A (0.36 mg), vitamin C (6mg) |
| Tortillas de maíz | Corn tortillas | Andean (post-colonial) | Maize-based tortilla | Energy (270 kcal), protein (5.60 g), fats (1.60 g), sugar (58.30 g), fibre (1.40 g), calcium (14 mg), iron (0.70 mg) |
| Gallinas Asada | Roasted hens | Andean (post-colonial) | Hen baked in a wood-fired brick oven, served with spicy peanut sauce and boiled potatoes | Protein, vitamins B, B6, B9, B3, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and fats |
| Yaguarlocro | Potato broth with cow blood | Andean (colonial) | Potato broth served with cow blood, boiled potatoes, and other beef offal | Energy (63 kcal), protein (3.20 g), fats (1.60 g), sugars (9 g), fibre (0.30 g), calcium (19 mg), iron (4.60 mg), vitamin A (0.36 mg), vitamin C (6.00 mg) |
| Caldo de Ville | Veal stock | Andean (colonial) | Broth served with tender pieces of veal, vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans) and coriander | Protein (5 g), fats (1.4 g), carbohydrates (6 g), sodium (871 mg), calories (240 kcal per standard serving) |
| Chugchucara | Chugchucara | Andean (pre-Hispanic and post-colonial) | Deep fried pork, boiled hominy (mote), potatoes, fried plantains, empanadas and pork rinds | Protein (36 g), carbohydrates 162 g, sugar (24.58 g), fats (63.45 g), sodium (780.3 mg), fibre (14.53 g), calories (1330.27 kcal per standard serving) |
| Chaguarmishqui | Chaguarmishqui | Andean (pre-Hispanic and post-colonial) | A thick, fermented corn beverage, prepared by the Kichwa indigenous communities in the Andes mountains of Ecuador | Protein (1–2 g), fats (<0.50 mg), vitamins A, B, minerals, calories (150–200 kcal per standard serving) |
Determinants of tourists’ decisions to consume local food, assessed by binary logistic regression analysis
| Independent variables | β | S.E. | Wald | p | Exp(β) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constant | 2.443 | 2.375 | 1.058 | 0.304 | 11.512 |
| Sociodemographic factors | |||||
| Age | 1.761 | 0.849 | 4.301 | 0.038 | 5.816 |
| Gender | 2.231 | 1.279 | 3.044 | 0.081 | 0.107 |
| Residence | 0.759 | 0.437 | 3.016 | 0.082 | 2.135 |
| Monthly income | 0.867 | 0.473 | 3.363 | 0.067 | 2.379 |
| Education level | –2.813 | 1.640 | 2.942 | 0.086 | 0.060 |
| Local food attributes | |||||
| Taste | 1.281 | 0.473 | 7.339 | 0.007 | 3.601 |
| Plating | –0.800 | 0.438 | 3.337 | 0.068 | 0.449 |
| Ingredients easily purchased | –0.805 | 0.458 | 3.084 | 0.079 | 0.447 |
| Travel behaviour | |||||
| Expenditure | –0.901 | 0.438 | 4.228 | 0.040 | 0.406 |
| Length of stay | –0.594 | 0.320 | 3.440 | 0.064 | 0.552 |
| Previous visit | 0.169 | 0.086 | 3.851 | 0.058 | 1.185 |
| Motivational factors | |||||
| Health and safety concerns | 1.534 | 0.235 | 42.575 | 0.000 | 4.636 |
| Cultural experience | 0.507 | 0.257 | 3.899 | 0.048 | 1.660 |