Proposal for Food Heritage at São Sebastião Market in Fortaleza (CE): Record to Preserve

Abstract

The article brings a proposal for food patrimonialization with the aim of documenting and safeguarding traditional food practices at the São Sebastião Market, located in Fortaleza, Ceará, to protect local know-how and encourage its continuity. An exploratory qualitative research was conducted, including bibliographic, documental, and field approaches, addressing the theme of Ceará’s food culture as found in this market. An emblematic meeting point for Ceará’s food culture, particularly from the hinterland, the São Sebastião Market is considered an important representative of this tradition in the city. With more than 400 stalls, the market offers a variety of products typical of Ceará’s regions—hinterland, mountains, and coast—including fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy products, fish, seafood, traditional dishes, and preparations. Given the richness of its collection, and considering the conceptual transversality of food culture and its direct relationship with memory, culture, territoriality, and identity, the need to preserve this traditional and ancestral knowledge for future generations is emphasized. The study discusses how heritage preservation can contribute to this, as the dynamic cultural practices experienced there allow them to continue being constructed and reinterpreted, fostering cultural identification and belonging. Thus, the article proposes a reflection on heritage preservation, presenting an overview of the representativeness of Ceará’s food culture in this space, and also highlights the importance of developing public policies that reinforce São Sebastião Market as a cultural heritage of Ceará, a source of economic, social, and cultural value.