Representations of Ecuadorian cuisine in the coast and the highlands regions through the free listing technique

Codification of country-of-origin cuisines serves as a powerful tool for the international promotion of a country and the reinforcement of its national identity. Even though there have been efforts in that direction, Ecuadorian gastronomy is not consensually codified. This study aims to compare the perceptions of Ecuadorian gastronomy among inhabitants of coastal and highland cities —where most of the population of the country lives— using free listing as a study technique, to distinguish consumers’ demographics through their representations, to define a list of the most culturally salient preparations, and to compare these perceptions with the traditional Ecuadorian dishes set forth by the Ministry of Tourism for the promotion of Ecuadorian cuisine. Data were acquired through face-to-face surveys in the main coastal and highland cities of Ecuador (n = 294) in which participants were asked to list the main dishes of Ecuadorian cuisine. The study identifies 25 preparations that exhibit the highest cultural consensus as determined by B'score. The four most salient dishes are encebollado (tuna, onion, and cassava soup), ceviche (lime-cured fish or shrimp cold soup), hornado, and fritada (roast and fried pork dishes, respectively). The representations of The Coast and Highlands show weak correlation (0.286 in Spearman’s test) despite having 60% consensus in the most salient dishes, and other groups show much higher consensus. There is agreement with most provincial dishes selected for the promotion programs of Ecuadorian cuisine, although there is room for improvement. This study is valuable to help codify Ecuadorian gastronomy from a grassroots perspective, to point out promotion and local development practical implications for both domestic and international tourism, and to lay the groundwork for further research.