Guía de maridaje de platos típicos de la Ciudad de Riobamba como recurso de información turística

Abstract

Riobamba, located in the heart of Ecuador, is a city that enchants visitors with its wide variety of tourist attractions ranging from majestic volcanoes and mountains to picturesque villages, all while not neglecting its gastronomy. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to develop a pairing guide with the typical dishes of the city to highlight its rich cuisine and to suggest to diners how to properly pair the dishes with beverages that enhance their flavors. For the creation of the guide, the focus group technique was used, consisting of 12 participants who, through sensory analysis, rated the best combination of foods with the selected beverages for pairing using a tasting sheet that evaluated harmony, balance, intensity, and aromatic phase. The qualitative results obtained during the evaluation are divided into results by beverage, aroma, and by dish, represented respectively in a table. Additionally, the respective analysis was carried out, indicating that pairing has a certain influence on the gastronomic experience with interesting data obtained about the combination of chicha and wine. It is concluded that beer is the most versatile beverage when paired with food, due to its freshness and flavor that is not very invasive on the palate, resulting in a good palate experience. With these results, the pairing guide was created, showing the suggestions of each beverage that the best accompanies each dish. Therefore, it is recommended that the guide be distributed in strategic locations so that different people can obtain knowledge and be curious to try the foods with each suggested beverage.