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Diagnosis of the current state of the gastronomic

offer in the coastal profile of the province of Santa

Elena, Ecuador

Diagnostico el estado actual de la oferta gastronómica en el

perfil costero de la provincia de Santa Elena, Ecuador

Norma Susana Sigcho Veloz

ABSTRACT

A result of the research project Gastronomic

Identity of the Coastal Profile of Santa Elena is

presented, corresponding to the Gastronomy career

of the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Espíritu Santo.

It answers a diagnosis of the current state of the

gastronomic offer in the coastal profile of the

province of Santa Elena. The research is of an

exploratory type guided by empirical methods aided

by techniques and instruments such as the survey and

interview carried out in 4 communities

corresponding to the area under investigation with a

view to identifying their current gastronomic offer

and the preservation of the identity that is part of

their estate. The results will help find alternative

solutions to rescue culinary values linked to national

identity.

Keywords: Diagnosis, gastronomic offer, coastal

profile, Santa Elena

RESUMEN

Se presenta un resultado del proyecto de

investigación Identidad Gastronómica del Perfil

Costero de Santa Elena, correspondiente a la carrera

de Gastronomía del Instituto Superior Tecnológico

Espíritu Santo. El mismo responde a un diagnóstico

el estado actual de la oferta gastronómica en el perfil

costero de la provincia de Santa Elena. La

* Instituto Superior Tecnológico Espíritu Santo con condición de

universitario, Guayaquil, Ecuador, nssigcho@tes.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1144-7548

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investigación es de tipo exploratoria guiada por

métodos empíricos auxiliada de técnicas e

instrumentos como la encuesta y entrevista realizada

a 4 comunidades correspondiente a la zona objeto

de investigación con vista de identificar su actual

oferta gastronómica y la preservación de la identidad

que forma parte de sus raíces. Los resultados

ayudarán a buscar alternativas de solución para

rescatar los valores culinarios vinculados a la

identidad nacional.

Palabras clave: Diagnóstico, oferta gastronómica,

perfil costero, Santa Elena

INTRODUCTION

The research project has been proposed due to the lack of knowledge of the

gastronomic identity in the coastal profile of Santa Elena, there is no transition of recipes

from generation to generation, and there is also little information about traditional

recipes, the bearers of knowledge can no longer express clearly because of their

advanced age.

In order to rescue the gastronomic identity of the communes of the road of the gods, it

is a priority that the Tecnológico Universitario Espíritu Santo, with the support of the

students of the career in Higher Technology in gastronomy, develop and implement

strategies and actions to rescue and preserve the gastronomic identity of the mentioned

communes. In this sense, the article responds to the objective of identifying the current

gastronomic offer and the preservation of the identity that is part of the roots of the

coastal profile of Santa Elena.

Road of the Gods

In the southeast of the Chongón-Colonche mountain range, there is a system of roads

to the coast, whose main access is the old Guayaquil-Salinas highway. Along this axis of

communication and transit of products are located pre-Hispanic monoliths in Chongón,

Juntas del Pacífico, La Barranca (Julio Moreno), Sube y Baja and Sacachún, communities

in which these archaeological remains are preserved as part of their historical memory.

The route of the Guancavilca Gods traces a map of millenary thought in which coexist

the conceptions about life and the forms of social organization preserved by the current

communities as a legacy of their ancestors. The preservation of this archaeological

heritage contributes to cementing the knowledge that new generations acquire from

pre-Hispanic cultures to revitalize their historical memory and strengthen their identity

(Freire, 2013) (Freire, 2013).

Gastronomic identity

It is worth noting a theoretical precedent linked to gastronomic identity, among which

stands out the "Food Identity Theory", which argues that food and culinary practices are

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fundamental elements in the construction of individual and collective identity, being this,

a perspective argues that what a person or community chooses to consume can

influence their sense of belonging and how they perceive themselves (Sosa, 2022).

In this sense, authors such as Mary Douglas and Michael Herzfeld, have contributed to

the understanding of how food can be intrinsically linked to identity, from here emerge

theories linked to Claude Levi-Strauss already mentioned above, such as "The theory of

gastronomy as cultural identity" (Valencia, 2020) which stresses the importance of food

as a distinctive element of culture and how cultural identity is reflected through

gastronomic practices, examining that food habits can reveal deep aspects of a society

and how this cultural identity is expressed through the food consumed. (Otálvalo, 2022)

Concretely these aspects and the focus of the research have been directed to the coastal

province of Santa Elena where there is a route that is called the "HUANCAVILCAS"

ROAD OF THE GODS, which includes the communes of: Limoncito, Julio Moreno, Las

Juntas del Pacífico, Sube y Baja, Sacachún and Buenos Aires, communes dating from 800

AD to 1532 AD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Setting: Students and teachers of the Gastronomy career of the Instituto Superior

Tecnológico Universitario Espíritu Santo participated.

Design: The research is of an exploratory type guided by empirical methods aided by

techniques and instruments such as the survey and interview carried out in 4

communities corresponding to the area under investigation in order to identify their

current gastronomic offer and the preservation of the identity that is part of their roots.

Population: For the development of the sample, the formula proposed by Murray and

Larry (2005) was used, employing simple random sampling, the statistical method used

was Microsoft Excel, and for an analysis at this level, the population aged 20 years and

older was taken into consideration. The sources used for the development of the survey

were primary and secondary, in the first case this instrument was applied to people aged

20 years and older and interviews were conducted with people aged 75 years and older,

and secondary sources were obtained from the presidents of the communes documents

of the history of these.

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Table 1. Dates of field research

DATE

PERSONS

SURVEYED

NUMBER

SURVEYED

DATE PERSONS SURVEYED

NUMBER SURVEYED

DATE

PERSONS

SURVEYED

NUMBER

SURVEYED

10-NOV-23

COMUNA DE LIMONCITO

COMUNA DE LAS JUNTAS

11-NOV-023

COMUNA DE JULIO MORENO

COMUNA DE SUBE Y BAJA

12-NOV-023

COMUNA DE SACACHÚN

COMUNA DE BUENOS AÍRES

Total, de encuestados.

403

- Setting: The research was carried out in the sector of the road of the gods in the

province of Santa Elena, taking into account the municipalities of: Limoncito, Julio

Moreno Las Juntas del Pacifico, Sube y Baja, Sacachún and Buenos Aires.

- Interventions: The technique used were surveys conducted according to the following

number of people taking into account the formula used: LIMONCITO (80), LAS JUNTAS

(74), JULIO MORENO (88), SUBE Y BAJA (60), SACACHÚN (35), BUENOS AIRES

(66).

- Statistical analysis:

Once the analysis of the surveys conducted was carried out, the following results were

obtained. The majority of respondents indicated that, if they know the ancestral dishes,

and that they are an important part of their culture, which allows transmitting the

traditional and values from generation to generation.

Most of those surveyed do not know how the ancestral dishes of the commune are

prepared, so it is necessary that this work be done jointly with the communities as well

as with the TES. A generational shift in preferences is observed, with younger

respondents showing interest in fast food dishes, while older respondents tend to prefer

traditional dishes.

The majority of respondents determine that educational programs should be

implemented to teach new generations about the importance of traditional gastronomy,

likewise highlighting the cultural importance of certain dishes, linking them to

celebrations, rituals and family events.

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Most of the respondents do not know how the ancestral dishes of the commune are

prepared, so there needs to be a generational change in preferences, with younger

respondents showing interest in fast food dishes, while the older ones tend to prefer

traditional dishes, therefore, it is convenient to develop the recipe book "Rescue of the

Gastronomic Identity of the WAY OF THE GODS "GUANCAVILCA" of the province

of Santa Elena.

Most of the respondents do not know the origin, history and meaning of each ancestral

food dish, as well as indicate that gastronomy is part of the culture, but that it is not well

communicated and also that the new generations do not know the ancestral gastronomy,

so it is necessary that this project be shared with the tourism career.

The majority of those surveyed determined that there has been an increase in fast food,

and that ancestral foods have been lost and that they appear in religious feasts or

festivities.

General analysis of the questions:

• Question 1, it is observed that the majority of the respondents 85 %

determine that, yes they know the ancestral dishes of the commune, but it is

required that they are known locally, nationally and internationally.

• Question 2, it is determined that 85% of the 403 people surveyed do not

know how the ancestral dishes of the commune are prepared, so it is

necessary that this work be done jointly with the communities as well as with

the TES.

• Question No. 3, it is observed that 87% of those surveyed do not know the

origin, history and meaning of each ancestral food dish, therefore, it is

advisable to develop the recipe book "Rescue of the Gastronomic Identity of

the "GUANCAVILCA" WAY OF THE GODS "GUANCAVILCA" of the

province of Santa Elena.

• Question 4, it is observed that 92% of the respondents accept that

gastronomy is part of the culture, but that it is not very well communicated.

• Question 5, 89% of respondents determined that the new generations do not

know the ancestral gastronomy, so it is necessary that this project be shared

with the tourism career.

• Question 6, 95% of those surveyed determined that fast food is the most

present food nowadays, and that ancient ancestral foods should be taught.

• Question 7, 98% of those surveyed determined that the religious aspect is

more predominant than the gastronomic aspect, so it is necessary to develop

this project since it will allow two types of income, tourism and gastronomy.

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• Question 8, 86% of those surveyed determined that local, regional, national

and international publicity of local ancestral gastronomy would improve the

economic development of the communities.

• Question 9, 86% of the respondents determined that it is necessary to

highlight ancestral gastronomy, since it will encourage the presence of

tourism in the communities.

• Question 10, 87% of the respondents require gastronomic training to

improve the healthiness of the communities, as well as to strengthen the

institutional image of the TES.

• Question 11, 83% of the respondents do not have written documents on

ancestral recipes; therefore, it is essential to achieve the general objective of

the project.

• Question 12, 94% of the respondents stated that firewood has been the

material they have used the most for the preparation of traditional dishes, so

it is necessary to learn about new techniques used, as well as the

environmental damage this causes.

• Question 13, 95% of the respondents have not received GMP training;

training in this knowledge will improve the quality of food preparation.

• Question 14, 96% of the respondents would like to receive training on

cooking techniques, which would allow them to improve food preparation

processes.

RESULTS

The results suggest that the community of the commune of the gods in Santa Elena has

not maintained its culinary traditions over time. People older than 45 years perform the

traditional dishes on festive dates, indicating a continuity in the preparation and

appreciation of these recipes throughout the generations. It is observed that traditional

food played a key role in the cultural heritage of the community. With people over 70

years old, they show a deep sense of cultural identity and belonging through the

preservation and transmission of traditional recipes to younger generations, recipes that

are losing their knowledge to society as there is no massification of these traditions that

should be strengthened in the tourism field.

Despite the strong connection with traditional dishes, there could be signs of changes in

the eating habits of the community as it was determined that currently the food that the

new generation consumes is fast food.

If this project would be strengthened with the TES tourism career, there would be a

potential for the development of gastronomic tourism in the communes of the path of

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the gods. This could contribute to local economic development and the promotion of

the region's unique culinary culture.

Given the age of the respondents and the possibility that some traditional recipes are in

danger of being lost, the importance of preserving and documenting these recipes is

highlighted. This could be done through local initiatives, such as the creation of a recipe

book with the main typical dishes that characterize the Coastal Profile in the province

of Santa Elena, Ecuador, in order to contribute to the rescue of the gastronomic identity

of the sector.

In the province of Santa Elena the Valdivia, Guancavilca and other cultures were settled,

the same that were linked to the sea, beaches, estuaries and mangroves, and protected

by the CHONGÓN-COLONCHE CORDILLERA, the main ancestral dishes were:

roasted fish, roasted yucca, roasted green, roasted deer, roasted guate, curd, whey, milk

cream, roasted goat, chica de jora, hierbaluisa water, shaved plantain colada, roasted

sweet potato, pipián, and with the presence of the Spanish, and the introduction of both

new species and ingredients and culinary techniques, these dishes were mixed until what

is known today as "traditional" dishes: arroz marinero, fried fish and its variations, seco

de chivo, seco de pato, seco de venado, seco de guante, steamed fish, duck rebosado,

caldo de gallina criolla, cazuela and its variants, and according to data that were provided

by the colonists of the sector, it is estimated that the presence of shrimp was in the

1950s.

Gastronomy is a cultural expression that reflects the history, heritage and identity of a

people. In the case of the Camino de los Dios in the province of Santa Elena, Ecuador,

the gastronomy is characterized by its richness and variety, product of the influence of

the aboriginal, Spanish and Afro-Ecuadorian cultures. In recent times, external influences

and modern trends have affected the traditional culinary traditions, which is why it is

necessary to rescue and preserve the gastronomic identity, through a recipe book, a

document that will act as a cultural archive for future generations to identify their

traditions and customs. This recipe book will be the compendium not only of the recipes,

but also the history of the creation of each commune and will be a tool to preserve the

history, techniques and procedures from generation to generation.

As a main aspect of the recipe book will be reflected the stories and anecdotes of each

recipe becoming an educational and cultural document, so that young people can learn

and prepare traditional dishes, and also that they can inform outside their borders the

living history of their community.

This document will not only have a local, but also a national, regional and international

impact, since it will promote tourism in the sector, as well as increase local economic

income.

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CONCLUSIONS

The ancestral dishes presented by the colonists are: roasted fish, roasted yucca, roasted

green, roasted deer, roasted guate, curd, buttermilk, milk cream, roasted goat, chica de

jora, herb and lemon verbena water, shaved plantain colada, roasted sweet potato and

pipián.

With the presence of the Spaniards, and the introduction of new species and ingredients

as well as culinary techniques, these dishes were mixed until what today is known as

"traditional" dishes: seafood rice, fried fish and its variations, seco de chivo, seco de pato,

seco de venado, seco de guante, steamed fish, duck, caldo de gallina criolla, cazuela and

its variants, and according to data provided by the settlers of the sector, it is estimated

that the presence of shrimp was in the 1950s.

A recipe book that highlights the main typical dishes of the coastal profile in the province

of Santa Elena is presented as a powerful tool for the rescue of the gastronomic identity

of the sector. Beyond being a simple compendium of recipes, it acts as a means for the

conservation, transmission and promotion of local culinary traditions. This project not

only contributes to the community's pride and connection with its heritage, but also

projects the cultural richness of Santa Elena nationally and internationally.

In summary, the survey reveals a strong emotional and cultural connection of people

over 45 years of age in the commune of the gods in Santa Elena with traditional dishes.

At the same time, it suggests the need to maintain a balance between preserving cultural

heritage and adapting to possible changes in the eating habits of modern society.

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