Local dishes on disappearing from eating habits in the Baatonou cultural area in northwest Benin

Abstract

The human diet has been undergoing perpetual change for several years due to a variety of factors. These changes have led to the gradual disappearance of certain local dishes and eating habits. The aim of our study is to contribute to the promotion of local dishes that have disappeared or are in danger of disappearing in Benin. The study took place during the first half of 2022. The nonprobability purposive sampling technique was used to determine the sample size. The target groups were heads of household, kings, family community leaders and guardians of ancestral traditions. Data were collected in the field using Kobotools box software. A total of 22 people with an average age of 62 ±12 took part in the study. The number of local dishes identified was 32, 94% of which were of plant origin. (6%) were cited as "food prohibitions" exclusively for people aged 60 and over. Recurring theoretical reasons for the disappearance of these dishes include a lack of knowledge of the benefits of these foods (21.9%), global warming (15.6%), herbicide use (9.4%), and species extinction (9.4%). Significance tests also revealed a significant difference between the kingdom to which the endangered or extinct dishes belong, the recommended quantity (p= 0.030), and the undesirable effects in the event of excess (p = 0.008). A study focusing on the nutritional quality of these dishes would help reveal their place on consumers' tables to strengthen the resilience of the food-insecure populations of the aforementioned zone.