Gastronomic Culture and Landscape Imaginary: the Consumer’s Opinion in Regions of Northern and Southern Europe

The aim of this study is to examine and highlight the motivations underlying the consumption of local food. The study has been conducted through an exploratory survey carried out in two European regions, both with a borderland character, namely Jamtland in Northern Sweden and Calabria in Southern Italy. These marginal regions lie far from the heart of Europe. They are rich in uncontaminated landscape beauty and gastronomic deposits, with famous traditional dishes. Indeed, with their local landscape cultural mosaics, they can be seen as lost paradises. Using the Multiple Correspondences Analysis (MCA) method, we identified characteristics and motivational profiles of consumers in Sweden and Calabria, capturing differences and similarities that enable a transnational comparison of the case study contexts. The results highlight the strong link between gastronomy, consumption of local food, and the territory.