The purpose of the present study is to provide empirical evidence on consumer acceptance of native and foreign varieties of walnuts, identifying how information on the variety's origin and taste affects consumer preferences in Italy. Through an artefactual experiment, the willingness to pay for three packages of walnuts weighing 350 g each—representing one native variety (Sorrento) and two foreign varieties (Chandler and Hartley)—was assessed. The study findings revealed that both information on the origin of the variety and taste significantly affect consumers' willingness to pay for different walnut varieties, with taste having a stronger impact. While information about the variety's origin reduces consumers' preferences for foreign varieties (i.e., Chandler and Hartley), after tasting the walnuts, the willingness to pay for the foreign and internationally grown variety (i.e., Hartley) increases. By considering both information and taste effects, the willingness to pay increases for both native (i.e. Sorrento) and foreign varieties, showing the highest premium price for the Chandler variety, which is foreign but locally grown. The results of this study contribute to the discussion on the importance of taste versus information in the preference for a food product. Additionally, it enhances the discussion on the consumers' perception of allochthonous varieties cultivated in their own country. This latter aspect is particularly crucial since there will be a growing interest in cultivating allochthonous varieties in the near future.

中文翻译：

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口味比原产地更重要：关于消费者对本土和外国核桃品种偏好的实验经济学研究

本研究的目的是提供消费者对本土和外国核桃品种接受程度的实证证据，确定有关品种原产地和口味的信息如何影响意大利消费者的偏好。通过人工实验，评估了购买三包核桃（每包重 350 克）的意愿——代表一种本土品种（索伦托）和两种外国品种（钱德勒和哈特利）。研究结果显示，品种原产地信息和口味信息都会显着影响消费者购买不同核桃品种的支付意愿，其中口味影响更大。虽然有关品种原产地的信息降低了消费者对外国品种（即钱德勒和哈特利）的偏好，但在品尝了核桃后，购买外国和国际种植品种（即哈特利）的意愿增加了。通过考虑信息和口味效应，本土品种（即索伦托）和外国品种的支付意愿都会增加，显示出钱德勒品种的溢价最高，该品种是外国品种，但本地种植。这项研究的结果有助于讨论口味与信息在食品偏好中的重要性。此外，它还加强了关于消费者对本国种植的外来品种看法的讨论。后一个方面尤其重要，因为在不久的将来，人们对培育异源品种的兴趣将会越来越大。