Gastronomic Heritage and Conservation Challenges of Gbodoklin in Abomey: An Ethnogastronomic Approach and Preservation Perspectives

Gildas ADJAHO, Denga SAHGUI, Hervé KOUDJEGA, Clément GNIMADI, Wilfrid Expédit VISSIN

Abstract


Gbodoklin, a traditional dish of Abomey, embodies both the local gastronomy and the cultural identity of its people. Through an ethnogastronomic approach, this study explored its key ingredients (maize flour, African basil, oil, smoked fish, dried meat or shrimp, tomatoes, water, and salt) as well as its preparation techniques. A total of 510 individuals were surveyed, and the results revealed significant diversity in the perception and consumption of traditional dishes. The methodology combined field surveys, documentary research, and experimentation. The analysis highlighted strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities, pointing to a major challenge for the valorization of this dish. Findings indicated both a diversity of preparation styles across communities and a gradual loss of culinary knowledge among younger generations, exacerbated by globalization and the increasing use of industrial food products. The study proposes solutions for preserving this gastronomic heritage, including the transmission of culinary knowledge, the promotion of Gbodoklin within culinary tourism, and the integration of sustainable agricultural practices.

Keywords


Gbodoklin, Gastronomic Heritage, Ethnogastronomy, Globalization, Preservation

Full Text:

PDF

References


Sulea C. Food cultural heritage paving the way to a more sustainable future. 2025;

Pugra IW, Kencanawati AAAM, Kurniawan IGWA. The cultural significance of traditional foods in shaping Indonesian social identity: Challenges and preservation strategies. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies. 2025;3(1):21–31.

Pugra IW, Kencanawati AAAM, Kurniawan IGWA. The cultural significance of traditional foods in shaping Indonesian social identity: Challenges and preservation strategies. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies. 2025;3(1):21–31.

Sorato A. Venetian Culinary Heritage Management: exploring authenticity in the realm of tourism and cultural identity through a visual analysis. 2024;

Kuruk P. Cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and indigenous rights: An analysis of the convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Macquarie J Int’l & Comp Envtl L. 2004;1:111.

Yu PK. Cultural relics, intellectual property, and intangible heritage. Temp L Rev. 2008;81:433.

Blake J. UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage: The implications of community involvement in ‘safeguarding.’ In: Intangible heritage. Routledge; 2008. p. 59–87.

Colomer L. ICH and identity: the use of ICH among global multicultural citizens. In: Research Handbook on Contemporary Intangible Cultural Heritage. Edward Elgar Publishing; 2018. p. 194–215.

Nhambura C. Supporting and Sustaining the Indigenous Intangible Cultural Heritage (IICH) of Zimbabwe. In: Evaluating Indigenous African Tradition for Cultural Reconstruction and Mind Decolonization. IGI Global; 2024. p. 1–9.

Csergo J. Food as a collective heritage brand in the era of globalization. International Journal of Cultural Property. 2018;25(4):449–68.

Graham B. Edible identities: Food as cultural heritage. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.; 2014.

Matta R. Food incursions into global heritage: Peruvian cuisine’s slippery road to UNESCO. Social Anthropology/Anthropologie sociale. 2016;24(3):338–52.

Bessière J. Local development and heritage: Traditional food and cuisine as tourist attractions in rural areas. Sociologia ruralis. 1998;38(1):21–34.

de Miguel Molina M, de Miguel Molina B, Santamarina Campos V, del Val Segarra Oña M. Intangible heritage and gastronomy: The impact of UNESCO gastronomy elements. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology. 2016;14(4):293–310.

Moro E, Galletti R. Sharing Food and Conviviality in the Mediterranean Diet. Some Ethnographic Examples. In: Making Food in Local and Global Contexts: Anthropological Perspectives. Springer; 2022. p. 71–87.

Sorcaru IA. Gastronomy Tourism-A Sustainable Alternative for Local Economic Development. Annals of the University Dunarea de Jos of Galati: Fascicle: I, Economics & Applied Informatics. 2019;25(1).

Lin MP, Marine-Roig E, Llonch-Molina N. Gastronomy as a sign of the identity and cultural heritage of tourist destinations: A bibliometric analysis 2001–2020. Sustainability. 2021;13(22):12531.

Rivza B, Foris D, Foris T, Privitera D, Uljanova E, Rivza P. Gastronomic heritage: A contributor to sustainable local tourism development. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites. 2022;44(4):1326–34.

Jayasinghe S, Byrne NM, Hills AP. Cultural influences on dietary choices. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. 2025;

Feldman CH, Wunderlich S. Cultural food distancing: a conceptual discourse on the evolution of seminal to present and future models of traditional food practices. British Food Journal. 2023;125(5):1936–52.

Apriyanto Y, Zulkifali WAHWA. WILL TRADITIONAL FOOD SURVIVE THE TRENDS? INVESTIGATING LOMBOK YOUNG GENERATIONS CONSUMPTION. International Journal of Social Science. 2025;5(1):49–56.

Mbunga BK, Mapatano MA, Egbende L, Strand TA, Hatloy A, Engebretsen IM. An example of a convergent mixed-methods analysis to examine food security: the case of Popokabaka in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Agriculture & Food Security. 2023;12(1):36.

Cheney AM, McCarthy WJ, Pozar M, Reaves C, Ortiz G, Lopez D, et al. “Ancestral recipes”: a mixed-methods analysis of MyPlate-based recipe dissemination for Latinos in rural communities. BMC public health. 2023;23(1):216.

Moser A, Korstjens I. Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. Part 3: Sampling, data collection and analysis. European journal of general practice. 2018;24(1):9–18.

Lim WM. What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal. 2025;33(2):199–229.

Cheraghinia M, Shahid A, Luchie S, Gordebeke GJ, Caytan O, Fontaine J, et al. A comprehensive overview on UWB radar: Applications, standards, signal processing techniques, datasets, radio chips, trends and future research directions. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials. 2024;

Ramón AGM. Agricultural Productivity and Human-Landscape Dynamics in the Early Basin of Mexico. 2021;

Ramón AGM. Agricultural Productivity and Human-Landscape Dynamics in the Early Basin of Mexico. 2021;

Pyne SJ. Five Suns: A Fire History of Mexico. University of Arizona Press; 2024.

Palmer JD. The Apache peoples: A history of all bands and tribes through the 1880s. McFarland; 2013.

Skoufogianni E, Solomou A, Charvalas G, Danalatos N. Maize as energy crop. Maize-Production and use. 2019;1–16.

Amanjyoti, Singh J, Sowdhanya D, Rasane P, Singh J, Ercisli S, et al. Maize. In: Cereals and nutraceuticals. Springer; 2024. p. 47–80.

Bello FA, Edet MO, Iwok LJ. Nutritional Value, Bioactive Compounds, and Potential Health Benefits of Maize and Maize-Based Food Products. In: Handbook of Cereals, Pulses, Roots, and Tubers. CRC Press; 2021. p. 193–220.

Reddy MP, Sen A, Swamy CT, Chelladurai P, Sivadurga K, Pandey A, et al. Chemistry of Macro-and Micronutrients. In: Colored Cereals. CRC Press; 2025. p. 96–118.

Vieira BM, de Mello e Silva GN, Silva MI. Nutritional Elements II: Vitamins and Minerals. In: Fundamentals of Drug and Non-Drug Interactions: Physiopathological Perspectives and Clinical Approaches. Springer; 2025. p. 57–86.

Rai S, Kaur A, Chopra C. Gluten-free products for celiac susceptible people. Frontiers in nutrition. 2018;5:116.

Serna-Saldivar SO. Maize. In: ICC Handbook of 21st Century Cereal Science and Technology. Elsevier; 2023. p. 131–43.

Serna-Saldivar SO. Maize. In: ICC Handbook of 21st Century Cereal Science and Technology. Elsevier; 2023. p. 131–43.

Serna-Saldivar SO. Maize. In: ICC Handbook of 21st Century Cereal Science and Technology. Elsevier; 2023. p. 131–43.

Ugbogu OC, Emmanuel O, Agi GO, Ibe C, Ekweogu CN, Ude VC, et al. A review on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum L.). Heliyon. 2021;7(11).

Okafor-Elenwo EJ, Izevbuwa OE, Otote OP. The Beauty of Ocimum Gratissimum Plant: Methods of Preparation As Food and Medicine and Anti-parasitic Potentials. Exceller Books;

Abu M. A REVIEW OF THE EFFICIENCY OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM AS A VEGETABLE CONDIMENT. Science. 2024;7(2):219–30.

Ojewumi ME, Babatunde DE, Orjiakor TG, Ojewumi EO, Olawale-Success OO. Exploring the therapeutic potential of Ocimum gratissimum extracts against microbial infections: A Comprehensive review. Medicine India. 2024;1–13.

Ugbogu OC, Emmanuel O, Agi GO, Ibe C, Ekweogu CN, Ude VC, et al. A review on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum L.). Heliyon. 2021;7(11).

Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Metse AP, Drummond PD. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of an Ocimum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil) extract (HolixerTM) on stress, mood, and sleep in adults experiencing stress. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022;9:965130.

Udi O. Bidirectional Communication Network: Exploring the Gut-Brain Axis as a Target for Ocimum Gratissimum Modulation in Neurodegenerative Disorder. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. 2025;29(2):407–16.

Yannick EO, Lanvin EEF, Roger B, Nga N, Emmanuel MM. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of bioactive compounds against snake venom in the hydroethanolic extract of Schumanniophyton magnificum stem bark. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies. 2024;12(3):24–33.

Yannick EO, Lanvin EEF, Roger B, Nga N, Emmanuel MM. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of bioactive compounds against snake venom in the hydroethanolic extract of Schumanniophyton magnificum stem bark. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies. 2024;12(3):24–33.

Ojewumi ME, Babatunde DE, Orjiakor TG, Ojewumi EO, Olawale-Success OO. Exploring the therapeutic potential of Ocimum gratissimum extracts against microbial infections: A Comprehensive review. Medicine India. 2024;1–13.

Ojewumi ME, Babatunde DE, Orjiakor TG, Ojewumi EO, Olawale-Success OO. Exploring the therapeutic potential of Ocimum gratissimum extracts against microbial infections: A Comprehensive review. Medicine India. 2024;1–13.

Sylver-Francis RA. Medicinal plants use in Nigeria for the management of hypertension and diabetes. 2022;

ANJORIN OJ. ANTIDIABETIC AND HEPATO-RENAL PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION OF METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF Solanum macrocarpon Linn IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC MALE WISTAR RATS. 2023;

Kobenan KC, Bini KKN, Kouakou M, Kouadio IS, Zengin G, Ochou GEC, et al. Chemical composition and spectrum of insecticidal activity of the essential oils of Ocimum gratissimum L. and Cymbopogon citratus stapf on the main insects of the cotton entomofauna in Côte d’Ivoire. Chemistry & Biodiversity. 2021;18(11):e2100497.

Zannou O, Agossou DJ, Miassi Y, Agani OB, Aisso MD, Chabi IB, et al. Traditional fermented foods and beverages: Indigenous practices of food processing in Benin Republic. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 2022;27:100450.

Zannou O, Chabi IB, Kpoclou YE, Kayodé AP, Galanakis CM, Selli S. Traditional fermented foods of Benin Republic: microbiological safety and health benefits. Discover Food. 2023;3(1):3.

Taale E, Gambogou B, Sawadogo A, Cissé H, Souho T, Kou’santa Amouzou S, et al. Involved microorganisms in the production of indigenous fermented food from West Africa: Technological characteristics and probiotic power. 2024;

Akissoé L, Hemery YM, Madodé YE, Icard-Vernière C, Rochette I, Picq C, et al. Current consumption of traditional cowpea-based dishes in South Benin contributes to at least 30% of the recommended intake of dietary fibre, folate, and magnesium. Nutrients. 2023;15(6):1314.

BIO BOUKO BO, BEHANZIN GJ, KABANOUDE AA, ADEBO AA, AMOGOU O, YESSOUFOU AG. Local dishes on disappearing from eating habits in the Baatonou cultural area in northwest Benin. Egyptian Journal of Nutrition. 2024;39(1):137–47.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v53.1.7510

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Gildas ADJAHO, Denga SAHGUI, Hervé KOUDJEGA, Clément GNIMADI, Wilfrid Expédit VISSIN

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.