The effects of food neophobia and food involvement in the intention to consume ethnic food using the theory of planned behavior

The aim of this research is to predict the variables determining intention on North Sumatran food consumption. The scheduled behavior approach theory is used as the fundamental technique and altered to include personality traits related to food: food neophobia and food involvement. In this study, food neophobia is included to assess the moderating effects of each relationship in the model, except for food involvement. Data collection is carried out quantitatively by distributing self-administered questionnaires to Indonesian citizens who are not North Sumatran people. There are 1, 319 respondents who passed the screening questions and proceeded to the analysis stage. To analyze the relationship between variables, using SmartPLS 3.0, the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is analyzed. It is found that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and food involvement significantly and positively affect the intention to consume North Sumatran food. Food neophobia’s moderating impact is discovered only in the connection betweeniperceived behavioral controliand intentionito consumeiNorth Sumatranifood. The findings of this research can be used as extra ideas for culinary companies (particularly those providing food from North Sumatran), regional government, and the Ministry of Tourism to determine the correct approach to improve Indonesian people’s desire to eat food from North Sumatran.