The critical-reflexive vision of gastronomic heritage as a sustainable tourist-cultural resource in native communities: the case of the ahuautle from Atenco, Mexico

La visión crítico-reflexiva del patrimonio gastronómico como un recurso turístico-cultural sostenible en comunidades originarias: el caso del ahuautle de Atenco, México.

Abstract

This article analyzes the importance of gastronomic heritage as an essential part of the food culture of a territory, which seeks to empower it in sustainable cultural tourism. The central problem is the loss of traditional ahuautle production in the municipality of Atenco, Mexico, which disrupts the food and cultural manifestations of this place. The purpose of the study is to analyze the importance of the ahuautle as an endemic resource in the traditional gastronomy of Atenco that favors the cultural, historical, ritual, and nutritional identity of the municipality. The theoretical-methodological approach is the critical-reflexive perspective that addresses the processes of commodification, spectacularizing and exoticization of this type of resource to revalue the so-called "critical gastronomy". The procedure is carried out in three stages: the first, a systematization of studies on the importance of traditional gastronomy, particularly that of the ahuautle; a second on the detection and evaluation of needs and potentialities of different social actors of the municipality to implement an intervention plan that promotes sustainable cultural tourism in Atenco; and, a third, the proposal that leads to the development of various actions on the gastronomic resource in the municipality. The main results not only seek to promote a solidarity awareness of sustainable cultural tourism development, but also concrete actions for the recapture and potentializing of the ahuautle in Atenco.