Leisure Time And Food Memory: An Anthropological Approach To Culinary Tourism In Central Mexico

Abstract

Purpose. To analyze how memory and desire influence the configuration of tourist activities related to traditional cuisine. Method. The ethnographic method was used with interviews with key respondents to obtain the family memories of barbacoa (pit roasted lamb or mutton) producers and consumers. Fifty-five in-depth interviews were conducted, of which 25 were with barbacoa producers and 30 with consumers. The sample was determined using the snowball non-probability method. Findings. It was found that food memory is a determining factor for reproducing the consumption of traditional food linked to territory. This was confirmed using cases where barbacoa has been consumed for over three generations, creating close bonds between territories and between consumers and producers, while favoring spaces for recreation and family integration. Research and conclusions limitations. The research only focused on consumers living in Mexico City. Practical implications. The results can be used by barbacoa producer associations to promote traditional practices in the preparation and marketing of barbacoa. Originality. This is the first paper written to link the food memory of inhabitants of Mexico City with the consumption of barbacoa produced in the city of Texcoco. Type of paper. Empirical research.