Human food preferences and cultural identity: The case of Aragón (Spain)

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the relationship between sociocultural values and human food preferences. The latter, as shown in this paper, are greatly influenced by cultural identity. This work stems from a theoretical context that originated in Europe and the United States towards the mid-twentieth century, within the field of the anthropology of food. A qualitative and quantitative analysis has been performed in the Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón (Spain). Research methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and a questionnaire that was handed out to a representative sample of the Aragonese population (816 people over 21 years of age; confidence level of 95.5% and error margin of ±3.5). Regarding the research outcome, a highly significant qualitative and quantitative connection has been found between food selection and cultural identity. In other words, people prefer to consume foods that are symbolically associated with their own culture, in order to reinforce their sense of belonging. Although this study has been carried out in Aragón, it is our belief that the results can be generalized to other areas. The originality and interest of our findings are notable considering that, to date, few works have analyzed the sociocultural factors motivating food behavior. Moreover, these results could be used by public and private organizations to meet objectives such as health promotion and product marketing.

Who Cares? The Importance of Emotional Connections with Nature to Ensure Food Security and Wellbeing in Cities

“…Vaqué-Crusellas et al [69] state that food "includes aspects of the physical environment (where the eating takes place, the furniture, the cutlery used, sound and environmental temperature, among others), the psychosocial environment (interpersonal relationships with meal companions) and also beliefs and values held with regard to food in each socio-cultural context" (p. 964) (similar points are made by Johansson [70] and Jacobsen [16]). Cantarero et al found that people prefer to consume food that they associate symbolically with their own culture, as it reinforces their sense of belonging [71]. A multi-national study by Prescott et al [72] concluded that geographical location can be less important than common cultural values in determining food choice.…”

“…Food choices are driven by a combination of individual factors, social influences (networks of family and peers), physical environments (home, school, after-school programs, and neighbourhood) and macro-level environment (cultural, economic and political factors) [35,71,74,77,[80][81][82][83][84]. The term "foodscapes", originally used in geography, encapsulates these interactions well.…”

“…over a lifetime, these forces interact with a person's life course events and experiences to result in individual preferences (such as taste) and other considerations (such as convenience or monetary considerations), which shape food behaviour" [75] (p. 128). There are many influences on food choice including ideals, personal factors, resources, social context and the food context [71,[76][77][78]. Considerations that weigh into food choices can also be labelled as food related values, with the most common being health (physical wellbeing), taste (sensory perceptions), cost (monetary considerations), convenience (time and effort), and managing relationships (inter-personal interactions) [78].…”

Consumer Drivers of Muscadine Wine Purchase Decisions

“…Consumers have preferred foods that were symbolically associated with their own culture, in order to reinforce their sense of belonging [39], demonstrating the power of psychological factors in motivating food behavior. Internal forces included influences such as consumers' patriotic values leading them to purchase local rather than imported foods [40].…”

The Sociocultural and Economic Evolution of Mansaf in Hartha, Northern Jordan

“…People consume foods that have a special association with their own culture to maintain ties [7]. According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, food within a society is chosen because of its meaning to the people of the society, not due to taste [8].…”