Raíces gastronómicas ancestrales y su impacto en la cultura alimentaria actual. Caso de estudio Manta.

Abstract

This research project explores how ancestral gastronomy in Manta, Ecuador, has been a cultural testament to its history and culinary customs, and how it constitutes a pillar of sustainability by promoting local ingredients and techniques consistent with environmental stewardship. The central problem lies in the limitations that significantly impact current food culture, diminishing its cultural value and integration into daily life. This leads to the loss of traditions and impacts human vitality. The main objective is to determine the influence of current food culture on the local economy. Specific objectives include identifying and documenting ancestral practices and recipes; analyzing the impact of globalization and industrialization on their loss; and evaluating the relationship between their preservation and community well-being. The methodology applied has a qualitative approach, through an ethnographic-documentary design, interviews with traditional cooks, and a systematic literature review. The results reflect a gastronomic variety influenced by changes that alter nutritional profiles, affecting health and preserving ancestral gastronomy. Likewise, maintaining traditional ingredients confirms a positive relationship with the members of the community, Manta, that, although its essence is being lost, there are places that prevail with their typical dishes and transmit them from generation to generation, thus obtaining results with traditional recipes from the locality, pertinent information according to an exhaustive search in gastronomic sites and a comparison between ancestral and ultra-processed ingredients.