El Chocolate Ambateño como generador de una experiencia cultural, aplicado al diseño interior de entornos turísticos

Abstract

The research project sets out to revitalize The Chocolate Ambateño tradition in the city. Even though the history of the “chocolateros de Ambato”, with a history reaching back almost 150 years, does not have a bibligraphic historical record, but its history remains in the oldest makers memory, a legacy for their successors. As mentioned above, cacao production transformed the economy and lifestyle, not only for the Ecuadorian Coastal Region. The intention is to study the traditional and cultural features from chocolate sector of Ambato, with the goa lof rvitalizing the local identity, and thereby to achieve a cultural recognition for the Chocolate Ambateño in the city. Once this recognition of traditions from the Chocolate Ambateño was achieved, it was decided to stablish the pinciples ans features from one contemporary theory of design, the experience design, wich is defined as one of the regulator shafts in this research. This theory focuses in generation of a cultural experience, and so, it will be disseminated inside a turictic enviroment, creating value technical and cultural results for the community of Ambato. Among the methodology used for the reserch, there are several interviews with experts and with, some of the chocolate makers in the city, the most important contributors and beneficiaries. On the other hand, there is the analysis from a visit to some places where Chocolate Ambateño is being sold as a hot drink. The result of this investigation states that the Chocolate Ambateño is a product with strong features that can set it as part of Ambato culture. It has a extensive historical and symbolic burden that unfortunately, nowadays it only exist in the chocolate makers memory and people who strongly love to their home town.