Ochweśnica cuisine the promoting tool of the region

Abstract

Modern food has taken on a new, broader dimension. It is more than a way to satisfy hunger, to express one’s social position, or to define one’s national or regional identity: modern food is conscious food, it is a way to express one’s worldview, part of modern ethics. Food is also an excellent tool to promote a city, a region or a small area, which often corresponds to a specific local government unit. Such an example is the Ochweśnica cuisine which encompasses two communes of Ślesin and Skulsk in Wielkopolska. The aim of the study is to analyze issues related to regional cuisine as a tool for effective promotion of the region, based on the example of the Ochweśnica cuisine. The research method applied in this study is closely related to its objectives. The analysis of existing data – the so-called desk research – was used along with the five strategies for promoting ethnic/local cuisine developed by Lucy M. Long. As a result, it was established that the dishes of the Ochweśnica cuisine, even though they have all the features of “new” food described by L.M. Long, do not arouse the tourists’ interest. The reasons for this phenomenon can be found in the lack of innovation of the dishes of this cuisine. The gastronomic product offered to tourists should contain the “new taste”, which was apparently missing in the Ochweśnica cuisine.