Aplicación de azúcar de flor de Coco (Cocos nucifera), sirope de algarrobo (Prosopis pallida) y miel de agave (Chawarmishki) en dulces de Corpus Christi cuencanos

Abstract

Cuenca is a city rich in culinary and cultural traditions, noted for its religious festivities, including Corpus Christi, which includes the preparation and tasting of a variety of typical sweets. This experimental research project fulfills the objective of developing a recipe book that standardizes the technical sheets of 15 recipes selected from the different types of traditional Corpus Christi sweets, which were made with Coconut Blossom Sugar (Cocos nucifera), Carob Syrup (Prosopis pallida), and Agave Honey (Chawarmishki). Carrying out detailed research on the main characteristics, nutritional properties, cultivation and handling, uses and benefits of each natural sweetener compared to refined sugar. Different tests were carried out for each preparation, substituting refined sugar for the natural sweeteners mentioned, trying not to alter the original recipe. This research gave favorable results and positive acceptance after analyzing the results obtained from the sensory tests with tasting panels that allowed comparing the original recipe and the adapted recipe, to determine if the focus group (diabetics, obese people, academic professionals and children) found differences in taste, smell, texture and color. The data also made it possible to include the analysis of the economic viability of these sweets in the market. Thus, contributing to the knowledge about the use of natural and healthy ingredients in traditional gastronomy, promoting more nutritious alternatives for the elaboration of the traditional sweets of Corpus Christi, while preserving and enriching the culinary culture of Cuenca.