Recognizing cultural value infood : Case study of Pike-Perch in Hjälmaren & Mälaren,Sweden

Sammanfattning:  Food culture emerges as a social culture and can be summarized through its historicaldevelopment process. The exploration of socio-cultural analysis of food with sociologicalapproaches has emerged in research due to the increased awareness of modern societies’motivations to discover other cultures through food. However, in the context of Sweden,limitations exist in analyzing the continuous ongoing process of a food product’s cultural valueand its potential ‘added value to local cultural expression. This research focuses on evaluatingPike-Perch’s culture value through its historical developed process and how utilization of theproduct has established present brand identity. By targeting the local stakeholder community, theperception of Pike-Perch’s recognized cultural value could be captured and utilized as addedvalue for local cultural expression. The stakeholder’s perspectives were collected via interviewsand observations through the geographical boundaries connected to the lakes of Mälaren andHjälmaren. The findings point towards a recent transformation of Pike-Perch market value,giving the fish a new sociological appearance. As a result, a change of traditional utilization hasreinvented/reproduced Pike-Perch with a different positioning within its socio-cultural setting.The stakeholders acknowledge the success in its development process that has establishedpresent identity; however, to the cost of preserving its intangible heritage. In return, thetraditional food culture appeared fragmented. By reintroducing traditional elements from the pastthat satisfy the imaginations and need for visitors to acknowledge its distinctiveness, the brandcould be strengthened and potentially justify its new market position. This research contributedto understanding the value of food culture from a stakeholder perspective and how post-modernsocieties influence its potential for sustainable destination development.