El ahuautle en Atenco: retos y posibilidades en la recuperación de un recurso endémico para el turismo gastronómico

The ahuautle, as an endemic resource of the municipality of Atenco, in Mexico, has faced the loss of traditional practices in its cultivation, consumption, and commercialization. This is the result of not only economic problems but also, social, political, and environmental issues. Based on these considerations, this research aims to analyze the situation and challenges facing the ahuautle in its preservation as a gastronomic resource, as well as the conditions that limit its projection and use in the municipality. The methodology used is a case study – with an ethnographic approach, using in-depth interviews, semi-structured surveys, and participant observation, together with resource, heritage, and territory evaluation guides. These instruments were applied to a sample of key informants for collecting information, not only on the problems facing the conservation of the ahuautle, but also on the recovery of knowledge and techniques of cultivation, preparation, and consumption, as well as on the historical, cultural, and nutritional value of the ahuautle for the same region of the Texcoco lagoon, where this resource is located. The main findings underline there are a gradual loss of the ahuautle, its cultivation, and production, to the point of being today at the point of extinction. In order to revert it, the main proposals are aimed at recovering this resource to integrate it into gastronomic tourism activities, benefiting not only local families but also merchants and restaurateurs in the region, as well as representing an emblematic attraction for visitors. For this, co-responsible and committed intersectoral participation is necessary to establish agreements, actions, and programs that favor its recovery in an integral manner, with benefits for the economy and the municipal tourism-gastronomic identity.

阿瓦特尔（ahuautle）是墨西哥阿滕科市（Atenco）的特有本土资源，其种植、食用与商业化的传统实践正逐渐流失。这一困境不仅源于经济问题，同时也涉及社会、政治与环境层面的多重挑战。基于上述背景，本研究旨在剖析阿瓦特尔作为美食资源所面临的保护现状与挑战，以及限制其在该市推广与应用的各类条件。本研究采用案例研究法，结合民族志研究范式，通过深度访谈、半结构化问卷调研与参与式观察，并辅以资源、遗产与地域评估指南作为研究工具。上述研究工具被应用于关键知情人样本，以收集多维度信息：不仅涵盖阿瓦特尔保护所面临的各类问题，还包括其种植、制作与食用相关知识与技艺的传承现状，以及该资源所在的特斯科科湖（Texcoco Lagoon）区域内，阿瓦特尔所具备的历史、文化与营养价值。主要研究结果显示，阿瓦特尔及其种植、生产正逐渐衰减，如今已濒临灭绝。为扭转这一态势，研究提出的核心建议旨在恢复该资源，并将其融入美食旅游活动之中，此举不仅能惠及当地居民家庭、区域内的商户与餐馆经营者，还可打造成为极具代表性的旅游吸引物。为此，需建立跨部门的协同负责与积极参与机制，制定各类协议、行动方案与项目，以全方位推动阿瓦特尔的恢复工作，同时助力地方经济发展与该市美食旅游品牌的塑造。