Cultural factors affecting food preference: the case of tarwi in three Quechua speaking areas of Peru

Abstract

Cultural factors affecting food preference and tarwi consumption in three departments of the Peruvian Andes were evaluated. This study suggests that tarwi consumption in Peru is location specific. Moreover, the contact between “lo capitalino” and “lo serrano” affects people’s food preferences. Andahuaylas, which has the least amount of contact with the capital, was the place where tarwi was eaten openly and proudly. Cusco, even though further from Lima, has many new “capitalino” businesses because of the tourist industry, resulting in shame at the fact that they still eat tarwi. In Ayacucho, the consumption of tarwi has disappeared. Furthermore, Ayacucho suffered more from terrorism than any other department in Peru. Thus, even secondary factors like civil turmoil and tourism, which act indirectly, still modify food preference and dietary choices. Finally, there are cultural factors not always visible to the naked eye, such as whether a food is inherently “cold” or “hot,” “male” or “female,” or a food fit only for the poor or acceptable for the middle class.