CONSUMPTION PREFERENCES OF PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.) LANDRACES IN THE CENTRAL VALLEYS OF OAXACA, MÉXICO

Abstract

Consumption preferences are cognitive – affective based on stimulus perception, and they are transformed into needs within their sociocultural and territorial context. In order to evaluate the consumption preferences of regional peppers in 18 towns in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, 1287 people over 15 years old were surveyed. The results showed that the people interviewed prefer consumption of ‘Jalapeño’ (37.7 %), ‘Chile de Árbol’ (18.9 %), ‘Chile de Agua’ (15.8 %) and ‘Chile Serrano’ (13.13 %) peppers. In reference to regional peppers, the consumers showed major preference for ‘Chile de Agua’ (67.1 %), ‘Solterito’ (13.8 %) and ‘Tusta’ (8.2 %), based on their flavor and pungency. The regional peppers are consumed in sauces (36.5 %), as fillings (28 %), whole roasted (21.9 %) or in raw slices (11.2 %). Families buy anywhere from a few pods (62.3 %) to one kilogram per week (27.3 %) of the local peppers. Certain regional differences were observed in consumption preferences: in the southern zone of the Central Valleys people preferred ‘Chile de Agua’, ‘Tusta’ , ‘Solterito’ and ‘Tabiche’ peppers, while in the eastern, northern and central zones ‘Chile de Agua’, ‘Paradito’ and ‘Piquín’ peppers were preferred. The people surveyed believed that the gene pools of the ‘Tusta’ (40.1 %), ‘Piquín’ (37.1 %) and ‘Paradito’ (14.0 %) peppers are endangered. The perception of demand and utilization documented in this study shows that local cooking could enhance the conservation of regional peppers.