Journey into the heart of Viche, an iconic dish from Manabí, Ecuador

Abstract

Manabí's cuisine is the synthesis of its biodiversity and the evolution of its culture, narrated through its history. In this context, viche is one of its most representative culinary expressions. The objective of this study was to characterize viche by identifying the most particular features that represent the identity of its inhabitants. This was primarily a qualitative and, to a lesser extent, a quantitative study, exploratory, descriptive, comparative, and historical. Techniques such as direct observation, interviews, life stories, and word frequency analysis using ATLASti software were applied. Among the main results was a list of the main and complementary ingredients of viche, the type of cuisine it belongs to, the origin of the ingredients, and cultural changes and continuities. It is concluded that this dish is very ancient, composed of ingredients available in the semi-arid and humid tropical climates of this province, making it one of the most emblematic dishes due to its uses, components, and symbolism.