Jellyfish consumption is popular in Asia but neglected in other continents, where their abundance could represent a sustainable food source. This study explored the potential of jellyfish as food in the Latin American population. Through an online survey that included questions about socio-demographics, personality traits, and acceptance of jellyfish as food, responses by 6,597 Latin Americans (55.9 % females; 18–90 years old) in nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) were collected. Jellyfish consumption acceptance (JCA) was positively correlated with age, educational level, and income, and negatively correlated with food neophobia and sensitivity to disgust. Comparing the nine countries, significant differences were identified. The highest levels of JCA were found among Argentinians and Peruvians, while the lowest values were observed among Ecuadorians and Salvadorians. Based on the modality of consumption (visible appearance, ingredient role, cooking method, carrier flavour of the recipe), four groups of countries with similar acceptance were observed: 1) Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil; 2) El Salvador; 3) Chile and Uruguay; and 4) Ecuador. Moreover, differences in food pairing choices were highlighted among countries of the Northern hemisphere (El Salvador, Mexico, and Colombia), middle latitude (Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil) and the southernmost (Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile). In conclusion, this research contributes to the understanding of jellyfish as a sustainable food source in Latin America and provides useful insights for future market development and the adoption of tailored approaches to maximise the use and consumption of jellyfish across the region.

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水母作为可持续食物来源：拉丁美洲国家的跨文化研究

海蜇的消费在亚洲很受欢迎，但在其他大陆则被忽视，在这些大陆，海蜇的丰富性可能代表着可持续的食物来源。这项研究探讨了水母作为拉丁美洲人口食物的潜力。通过一项在线调查，其中包括有关社会人口统计、性格特征以及是否接受水母作为食物等问题，9 个国家（阿根廷、巴西、智利、哥伦比亚、厄瓜多尔、萨尔瓦多、墨西哥、秘鲁和乌拉圭）被收集。海蜇的消费接受度（JCA）与年龄、教育水平和收入呈正相关，与食物恐新症和厌恶敏感性呈负相关。比较这九个国家，发现了显着差异。 JCA 水平最高的是阿根廷人和秘鲁人，而最低的是厄瓜多尔人和萨尔瓦多人。根据消费方式（可见外观、成分作用、烹饪方法、菜谱载体风味），观察到接受程度相似的四组国家：1）秘鲁、阿根廷、墨西哥、哥伦比亚和巴西； 2）萨尔瓦多； 3）智利和乌拉圭； 4) 厄瓜多尔。此外，北半球国家（萨尔瓦多、墨西哥和哥伦比亚）、中纬度国家（厄瓜多尔、秘鲁和巴西）和最南端国家（乌拉圭、阿根廷和智利）之间的食物搭配选择差异也很突出。总之，这项研究有助于了解水母作为拉丁美洲的可持续食物来源，并为未来市场开发和采用定制方法以最大限度地提高整个地区水母的使用和消费提供有用的见解。