Figure - available from: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Indigenous knowledge of traditional glutinous rice wine koji-making plants: a A local guide to helping identification of glutinous rice wine koji-making plants. b One of face-to-face interview. c The koji for brewing glutinous rice liquor/wine. d Glutinous rice wine made from koji
Source publication
Background
Beverages prepared by fermenting plants have a long history of use for medicinal, social, and ritualistic purposes around the world. Socio-linguistic groups throughout China have traditionally used plants as fermentation starters (or koji) for brewing traditional rice wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate traditional knowledg...
Citations
... The fruit pulp contains 19 types of amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids for the human body. Transforming these fruits into alcoholic beverages can confer health benefits due to their nutritional composition [44]. ...
Introduction
Fangchenggang is situated in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, renowned for its rich biodiversity and ethnically diverse population. The Zhuang people, constituting the largest minority group in the area, possess a wealth of traditional knowledge concerning wild edible plants (WEPs) owing to the region's favorable environment and dietary customs. With the rapid development of urbanization, tourism, and trade, the Zhuang people's food culture, including the consumption of wild edible plants, has become an attractive aspect of urban development. However, there is almost no comprehensive report available on WEPs consumed by the Zhuang people. The objectives of this study were to: (1) conduct a comprehensive ethnobotanical investigation of the WEPs among the Zhuang people in the region; (2) evaluate the cultural food significance index (CFSI) for the local communities; (3) summarize the cultural characteristics of the wild edible plants consumed, providing scientific support for the development of Fangchenggang as a sustainable and attractive tourism destination.
Methods
Ethnobotanical investigation including market surveys, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and participatory observations was conducted in Fangchenggang from January 2021 to March 2023. A total of 137 informants were selected using the snowball method. Information about WEPs, including vernacular names, food categories, parts used, mode of consumption, collecting season, and recipes, was collected and recorded. The CFSI (cultural food significance index) was calculated to identify the most culturally significant WEPs.
Results
A total of 163 species of wild edible plants consumed by the Zhuang people were identified, belonging to 67 families. The main categories of WEPs include wild vegetables (69) and tea substitutes (42). The most commonly consumed parts are fruits (37), followed by whole plants (33) and leaves (21), with herbaceous plants (74) being the most numerous. The availability of wild edible plants remains high throughout the year, with the peak seasons occurring in August and October, and significant abundance also noted in July and November. In the highly significant category (CFSI > 500), a total of 15 plant species were identified, which play a crucial role in the local diet. Additionally, 17 alien species have become part of the local consumption of wild plants, with 7 species listed as invasive alien species.
Discussion and Conclusions
This study documented 163 wild edible plant species and their associated traditional knowledge of the Zhuang people. The research identified culturally significant WEPs and analyzed their multiple uses. The historical development of wild plant consumption in Fangchenggang showed the strong influence of natural and social environments on the Zhuang ethnic group's dietary traditions. The WEPs are characterized by “sour food”, “fresh ingredients” and “cold dishes”, aligning with their health-oriented philosophy of “homology of medicine and food”. Future prospects encompass the cultivation of economically sustainable wild edible plants (WEPs), the preservation of their traits through cross-breeding, ensuring safe consumption through research and safety evaluations, and advocating for the preservation of WEPs' culinary culture to support tourism and sustainable urban development.
... Some papers put emphasis on combinations of medicinal, dietary, or religious usage of plants by indigenous people (e.g., Yang et al., 2019). Here, we also identified papers that examined gastronomic heritage, for example, in the form of ethnobotanical knowledge of wild plants used as starters for fermented beverages (He et al., 2019). The ethnozoological papers were far less represented, Ekológia (Bratislava) 2023: 42(1): 64-74 (Maya, Gómez, 2016) or ethnoornithology (Alves et al., 2013). ...
The growing interest of researchers in the topic of biocultural diversity has resulted in the research field expanding from its initial focus on places inhabited by indigenous communities to rural and then to urban landscapes. The aims of this study are to summarize and review the current state of knowledge on biocultural landscape (BCL), present a spectrum of human activities leading to their formation, and based on that, focus on typology of these landscapes. Moreover, the connections between cultural ecosystem services (CES) and BCLs were examined, and the research on these unique landscapes in individual countries and the proportion of studied landscape types were graphically displayed. BCLs are threatened all over the world; therefore, there is a need to identify and recognize them, and provide them with effective legislative protection.
... An ethnobotanical Fig. 1 Lateritic region of West Bengal, India [8] survey was carried out to record the plant species used in Bakhar and the detailed process of Bakhar and Haria preparation. A field survey was conducted at the remote Santal village markets of the Bankura district through observations, semi-structured interviews, and some open-ended questionnaires [10]. Explorations were done in summer as production and consumption of Haria are relatively high during hot summer days. ...
Haria, a fermented rice beverage, is commonly consumed as a traditional drink by the tribal people of rural West Bengal. This beverage is prepared by fermenting steamed rice with the starter culture tablets, known as Bakhar . It is known that some plant parts are added during Bakhar preparation that confer certain ethnomedicinal properties to the beverage as well as to Bakhar itself. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted that allowed documenting the traditional knowledge regarding this ethnic beverage preparation and it reveals that 10 plant species and one lichen species are used by the Santal tribe to prepare the Bakhar . Among them, roots of Kedar , Chaoli , rhizome of Bach , and bark of Lodh plants are essential, while other plant parts are used due to their specific taste, flavor, and therapeutic properties. But nowadays little or no plant additives are used during commercial Haria preparation for cost-effectiveness. Homemade and commercially produced Haria were investigated for their nutritional quality which revealed that homemade beverage contains more bioactive compounds, such as ascorbic acid (15.40 mg/100 ml) and flavonoids (36.67 mg/100 ml), which contribute toward the antioxidant property of the beverage. This current study documents the important medicinal plants used in the starter culture, the detailed process of Bakhar and Haria preparation, and the nutritional quality of Haria highlighting its ethnomedicinal properties.
... Wine, one of the most widely consumed beverages across the world, has been part of human civilization since the beginning (Tariba 2011;Naame et al. 2019). Glutinous rice wine (GRW), made from local specialty glutinous rice, which confers exclusive properties of flavor and gives the wine a unique taste (Jiang et al. 2020;Wang et al. 2021) is also a popular beverage in China, especially in regions with minority populations in remote rural areas because of transportation difficulties and an exclusive, specific minority culture (He et al. 2019). Glutinous rice is used as a raw material for the production of GRW because of the enriched nutrient components, which include phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins (Jiang et al. 2020;Huang et al. 2018), and also because of the unique flavor imparted by the glutinous rice. ...
Heavy metals in industrial areas threaten local resident health through multiple routes, in particular the contaminated food. Traditional glutinous rice wine (GRW) is a popular drink in China. However, the toxic metal pollution status of GRW remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to compare intake level and the effects of GRW on health risk among residents between industrial area and commercial area in the central of China. The results indicated the mean concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) of all GRW samples in industrial area were 0.78, 0.13 and 0.09 mg/L which had exceeded both of Chinese glutinous rice wine detection standard (DB46/T 120-2008) and National standard of Food safety (GB2762-2017), whereas the lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As)concentrations were normal in the commercial area. Health risk assessment showed industrial area had a higher risk of non-cancer health diseases via intake of lead (Pb), Cd and As in the order: Cd > lead (Pb) > As. The total hazard index (HI) in industrial area was 4.580 whereas in commercial area the HI was 0.491, respectively. Further, in the industrial area, the cancer risk (CR) of lead (Pb) was 9.523 × 10–6 and Cd was 6.53 × 10–2, whereas in commercial area, the CR of lead (Pb) was 1.286 × 10–6 and Cd was 2.60 × 10–3. The principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis further identified high concentration of lead (Pb), Cd and As in the industrial area is due to industrial-related activities. Our findings emphasize the importance of following consumer advice with respect to GRW and urgent action should be taken to reduce the detrimental health effects to the industrial residents.
... For example, the rice-fish-duck system, rice-fish-duck-forest system, and rice-duckweedfish-duck agroecosystem (RDFDA) we proposed earlier [6][7][8]. RDFDA provides ecosystem services such as high genetic diversity of Kam sweet rice (Oryza sativa L.) phenotypes [5], wild edible plants and ethnic cultural values [9]. Additionally, it implements a long-term, sustainable use of resources as well as a way of farming that preserves traditional values. ...
... Despite the recognition of the importance of fish-grilling in Qiandongnan Prefecture, there are still few studies that focus on local Dong's TEK in the region. Interestingly, the Qiandongnan area is a biodiversity hotspot in Guizhou Province with rich and diversified edible plants [9,17]. Many of these species were collected from dissimilar accessibility locations such as paddy rice field edges, streamsides, forest-farming ecotone and woodland, and have not yet been cataloged or described. ...
... They usually fish while harvesting the rice. Some of these fish were grilled and served as lunch near the rice paddy, to reduce the time of returning home for dinner (Fig. 5), and some were taken home to wait for the next operation, making traditional grilled fish or for daily consumption [9]. Figure 5 shows a traditional fish grilling scene conducted by the Dong people of Xiaohuang Village on the forest-farming ecotone (gentle slope). ...
Background
The local Dong people in Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China, with rich biocultural diversity, have developed the traditional rice-duckweed-fish-duck agroecosystem (RDFDA) to support biodiversity conservation and to meet food and cultural needs. However, there is still not much research on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in this area. In particular, there is a lack of traditional knowledge of edible plants used by the Dong people as flavoring to grill fish (Cyprinus carpio) collected from RDFDA, which is extremely valuable in their traditional culture. The study focused on documenting plant species used in grilling fish and analyzing the status of its TEK.
Methods
Twenty-one sampling points of three Dong minority villages in Qiandongnan were selected for the research. The local TEK associated with plant resources for fish-grilling was recorded through free listing and semi-structured interviews. Fidelity level (FL) and ethnoecological importance value (EIV) indicators were designed to determine the socioeconomic influence of TEK. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) method was used to evaluate the differentiation of edible plant species distribution in dissimilar accessibility types.
Results
A total of 430 people were interviewed about grilled fish, of whom 75% were men and 85% were farmers. Thirty-four edible plants were documented for fish-grilling in three Dong villages. They belong to 16 plant families, such as Apiaceae, and Asteraceae. The life forms included herbaceous (76%), shrubs (18%) and trees (6%). Leaves are the most commonly used part of for grilling fish, followed by aerial parts, and whole plants. Among these edible plants, Allium hookeri, A. macrostemon and Houttuynia cordata with the highest fidelity level (100%) were cited as edible plants for grilling fish by all informants. The NMDS showed different accessibility types of collection sites, with different importance values. Paddy rice field edge (2.03) has the highest value, followed by forest-farming ecotone (1.74), streamsides (1.71) and woodland (0.48).
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to investigate the traditional knowledge of edible plant materials used by the Dong people for grilling fish. The results demonstrate the strong connection between local people, the bio-environment and agroecosystem services. The survey and comparative analysis revealed that plant species with high FL values may be potential sources of natural flavors.
... Fermentation practices are part of the local knowledge and food systems, directed to procure and improve human health and wellbeing, but fermented products have changed the human food supply worldwide (Harris et al., 1989;Kuhnlein and Receveur, 1996;Steinkraus, 1996;Harris, 1998;Quave and Pieroni, 2014;Svanberg, 2015;Sõukand et al., 2015;Flachs and Orkin, 2019;He et al., 2019). Fermentation can contribute to construct sustainable food systems, diversify food production, and procure safety, security and sovereignty in human communities around the world (Johns and Sthapit, 2004;Marshall and Mejia, 2011;Ojeda-Linares et al., 2021). ...
Colonche is a traditional beverage produced in Mexico by the fermentation of fruits of several cacti species. In the Meridional Central Plateau region of Mexico, where this study was conducted, it is mainly produced with fruits of Opuntia streptacantha; there, the producers perform spontaneous fermentation and/or fermentations through inoculums. Several factors can change the microbial community structure and dynamics through the fermentation process, but little attention has been directed to evaluate what type and extent of change the human practices have over the microbial communities. This study aims to assess the microbiota under spontaneous and inoculated fermentation techniques, the microorganisms present in the inoculums and containers, and the changes of microbiota during the process of producing colonche with different techniques. We used next-generation sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene and the ITS2, to characterize bacterial and fungal diversity associated with the different fermentation techniques. We identified 701 bacterial and 203 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to 173 bacterial and 187 fungal genera. The alpha and beta diversity analysis confirmed that both types of fermentation practices displayed differences in richness, diversity, and community structure. Richness of bacteria in spontaneous fermentation (⁰D = 136 ± 0.433) was higher than in the inoculated samples (⁰D = 128 ± 0.929), while fungal richness in the inoculated samples (⁰D = 32 ± 0.539) was higher than in spontaneous samples (⁰D = 19 ± 0.917). We identified bacterial groups like Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and the Saccharomyces yeast shared in ferments managed with different practices; these organisms are commonly related to the quality of the fermentation process. We identified that clay pots, where spontaneous fermentation is carried out, have an outstanding diversity of fungal and bacterial richness involved in fermentation, being valuable reservoirs of microorganisms for future fermentations. The inoculums displayed the lowest richness and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities suggesting unconscious selection on specific microbial consortia. The beta diversity analysis identified an overlap in microbial communities for both types of fermentation practices, which might reflect a shared composition of microorganisms occurring in the Opuntia streptacantha substrate. The variation in the spontaneous bacterial community is consistent with alpha diversity data, while fungal communities showed less differences among treatments, probably due to the high abundance and dominance of Saccharomyces. This information illustrates how traditional management guides selection and may drive changes in the microbial consortia to produce unique fermented beverages through specific fermentation practices. Although further studies are needed to analyze more specifically the advantages of each fermentation type over the quality of the product, our current analysis supports the role of traditional knowledge driving it and the relevance of plans for its conservation.
... The medicinal plants are soaked in alcohol for about one month, and the resulting liquid then is drunk by the patient or applied externally to the affected parts. Alcohol can act as solvent instead of water, where fresh plant or dried plant powder is placed in alcohol and either drunk or applied externally [45]. It is believed that alcohol extracts contain more active components from the medicinal plants than water does, thus being more effective in curing diseases. ...
Background
Marketplaces reflect not only the commerce of an area, but also its culture. In Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture with Kaili as its capital, Guizhou Province, China, traditional medicine is thriving in both rural and urban areas. The local people rely extensively on plants for traditional medicines, and these are commonly sold in local specialized markets. The Kaili medicinal market is the biggest in the prefecture. However, ethnobotanical study on herbal plants traded in the traditional market in Kaili has not been performed. The aims of this study are: (1) to document medicinal plants traded in the Kaili traditional market and the associated traditional knowledge; and (2) to analyze the level of agreement among vendors in the purported uses of medicinal plants by using informant consensus (FIC) and the fidelity level (FL).
Methods
Market surveys were conducted in 2014–2019 to collect information about medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Information including vernacular names, preparation methods, and plant uses was obtained by interviewing 116 vendors of herbal plants. Specimens of fresh and dried herbs, collected as vouchers, were identified by the authors and other botanists at the Minzu University of China, and deposited in the herbarium at Minzu University of China. The level of agreement among information provided by different vendors was assessed using the FIC, and the percentage of vendors claiming the use of a certain medicinal plant for the same indication was assessed with the FL.
Results
The Miao people comprise 53.4% of all informants in this study of medicinal plants. In total, 237 medicinal plant species traded in the Kaili traditional market were recorded. They belong to 219 genera and 107 families. These plants have been categorized into their purported treatments for 20 medical conditions. The inflammation category showed the highest FIC value of 0.95, showing the best agreement among market vendors claiming its usefulness to treat this condition. The FL index helped to identify 15 culturally important medicinal plant species based on the reported uses by 20 or more vendors in the market. Three medicinal plant species, Eleutherococcus gracilistylus, Sargentodoxa cuneata , and Stephania cepharantha , had an FL > 90%, being used to treat sprains/traumas, rheumatism, and heat/toxins.
Conclusions
The medicinal plants sold in the Kaili market are highly diverse and have unique medicinal characteristics. The Miao people often use traditional herbal plants for disease prevention and thereby prioritize the use of medicinal plants in everyday life. The future of this medicinal marketplace, however, is uncertain since few young people (< 30 years old) are vendors or customers. Therefore, it is urgent to conserve traditional ethnomedicinal culture in local communities and pass on the associated traditional knowledge to future generations in this prefecture. And the next step should include further studies on FL > 90% plants’ chemistry, pharmacology, biological activity, and toxicity for potentially developing functional foods or pharmaceutical products.
... Very often additional flavouring ingredients are added. He et al. (2019) identified 103 plant species used in rice wine production by indigenous people in southeast China. In Borneo, cinnamon, pepper, dried chili and herbs are added to the starter to provide a unique aroma of rice wine (Palaniveloo and Vairappan, 2013). ...
Humankind has a long history of alcoholic beverage production and inebriation, probably as soon as the last Ice Age terminated (Guerra-Doce, 2014; Biwer and Van Derwarker, 2015; Liu et al., 2019). Development of archeobotanical and archeochemical analyses (starch grains, phytolith remains, acids, presence of molds and yeasts) enabled scientific evidence of sources and types of alcoholic beverages, as well as the social context of their consumption (McGovern et al., 2004; Liu et al., 2019). There are two opinions concerning the oldest type of alcoholic beverage: beer or wine. Beer seems a logical consequence of grain domestication and evidence for it is scattered all over the world in the form of grinding stones, ceramics and different forms of starch granules found incorporated in the walls of vats and jars, the oldest one going back to Natufian (also known as Levant culture) (Hayden et al., 2012). A recent discovery from China also points to beer (made from rice, honey and fruit) as the first intentionally produced alcoholic beverage dating from around 9000–7500 BC (Liu et al., 2019). Other scientists doubt this evidence having in mind the complexity of the beer production process and propose grape wine production as ‘non-inventive’, thus more logical as the first massively produced alcoholic beverage (Kjellgren, 2004). The oldest evidence-supported proof of wine production comes from the village of Jiahu, Henan province in China (McGovern et al., 2004). It is estimated to originate from around the Early Neolithic Period (7000–6600 BC) and was based on the wild grape variety mixed with other raw materials, like rice, honey and hawthorn fruit. Scientists suggest the political and cultural importance of alcohol, but the written testimony points to its healing purpose, like the texts from ancient Mesopotamia (around 2012–2004 BC) (Scurlock and Andersen, 2005). Liu et al. (2019) also pointed out that the earliest alcoholic beverages were used as health supports. However, fungi as the kingdom, particularly macrofungi (mushrooms), predate both civilisation development and grain domestication; thus the alcohol production as well. Naturally present in different environments, convenient and nutritious, mushrooms probably were a part of the human diet long before the occurrence of the intended alcohol fermentation. Artifacts found in the bag of Öetzi (the ‘Iceman’) point to mushroom use other than food (Peintner et al., 1998). Contemporary bioactivity, screening of macrofungal species, including Fomes fomentarius and Piptoporus betulinus found in Öetzi’s bag support the speculation about its medicinal use, dating as far as 3500 BCE (Vunduk et al., 2015; Gründemann et al., 2020). Moreover, ancient cultures like the Chinese had extensive knowledge and appreciation of macrofungi. Chinese pharmacopeia, called the Compendium of Materia Medica from 1578, lists diverse mushroom species, physical conditions that can be addressed and the method to prepare the medicines.
Apart from the ancient scripts, the science of macrofungi went through some intensive breakthroughs: pharmacy, food industry, agriculture waste management, mycoremediation, construction materials, medicine and even fashion, just to name a few (Wasser, 2014; Kamthan et al., 2017; Marchand and Stewart, 2018; Barh et al., 2019; Novaković et al., 2019; Silverman et al., 2020; Jones et al., 2020). Finally, hybrids between the disciplines, like in the case of medicine and food, resulted as a functional food appeared (Okhuoya, 2017). Mushrooms are extensively exploited as nutraceuticals due to their numerous bioactive molecules, like polysaccharides, peptides, triterpenes and complexes like glycoproteins (Rathore et al., 2017; Veljović and Krstić, 2020). All phases of the mushroom life cycle are used: the mycelium, fruit body and spores. Species are not just collected in nature; significant improvement and efforts are put into the development of mushroom cultivation techniques, selection of strains, stimulation of bioactive molecules synthesis to provide a secure supply and high quality according to the market demand and safety regulations (Isikhuemhen et al., 2010; Jang and Lee, 2014; Golian et al., 2015). However, the possibility of using macrofungi as a raw material in the production of alcoholic beverages is a relatively new concept. Although popular knowledge advises not to mix mushrooms with alcohol, the latest scientific findings suggest that some mushrooms contain alcohol-dehydrogenase, the key enzyme in alcohol synthesis, which enables them to perform fermentation (Okamura-Matsui et al., 2003). Furthermore, medicinal mushrooms can be added as additives that not only improve the medicinal properties of beverages but contribute to the flavor, aroma and color (Leskošek-Čukalović et al., 2010a; Leskošek-Čukalović et al., 2010b). These sensory changes help make the beverage more distinctive and appealing, especially in the markets with a long tradition of healthy drinks (Kim et al., 2004; Nguyen et al., 2019a).
The current chapter provides an overview of the state-of-the-art use of macrofungi in the production of three main alcoholic beverages: beer, wine and spirits. The history of medicinal use and the incorporation of mushrooms from the aspect of different addition procedures—technologies that the existing macrofungal species used, the effect of their addition on the beverage’s medicinal and sensory properties, and the situation in the market are addressed. In addition, spirits based on Ganoderma lucidum, the most apprised and studied medicinal mushroom, are also discussed.
... The traditional ecological knowledge, gathered by the indigenous communities in their long interaction with nature, is an important part of human cultural heritage. Much traditional ecological knowledge is under threat and at the verge of disappearing due to environmental changes, livelihood diversification, and the influence of cultural conflicts [28][29][30][31]. Meanwhile, the ethnic groups in this region do not have or do not use their own written language, and their traditional knowledge could only be inherited by the next generation through oral communication. ...
Background
Dai, Hani, and Yao people, in the trans-boundary region between China, Laos, and Vietnam, have gathered plentiful traditional knowledge about wild edible plants during their long history of understanding and using natural resources. The ecologically rich environment and the multi-ethnic integration provide a valuable foundation and driving force for high biodiversity and cultural diversity in this region. However, little study has uncovered this unique and attractive culture to the world.
Methods
We conducted ethnobotanical survey in 20 villages of Jiangcheng County from 2016 to 2020. Altogether 109 local Dai, Hani, and Yao people were interviewed, and their traditional knowledge about wild edible plants was recorded. Voucher specimens were identified by the authors and deposited in the herbarium of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (HITBC). The use value was used as a quantitative index to evaluate the consumption frequency and relative importance of the wild edible plants. The Jaccard index was calculated to assess the usage similarity of different areas. The relationship of age and recognized wild edible plants by different ethnic people was performed by R.
Results
A total of 211 wild edible plants, belonging to 71 families and 151 genera, were recorded. These plants were consumed as wild edible vegetables, seasonal fruits, salads, spices, sour condiments, tonic soups, tea substitutes, liquor brewing, or dyeing materials. The use value (UV), current cultivation, market availability, and the quantitative traditional knowledge inheritance situation of these wild edible plants among different generations, were analyzed. Based on the data from the threatened species list of China’s higher plants and the IUCN Red List, the food plant list for Asia Elephant, the Subject Database of China Plant, and the calculated UV score, the top 30 most important wild edible plants were selected for further cultivation in some local villages.
Conclusion
Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants, owned by Dai, Hani, and Yao people in Jiangcheng County, is rich but at risk of being lost among the young generation. Diversified cultivation of wild edible plants by the local communities could be a solution for the sustainable use of natural resources and to conserve the endangered species in this trans-boundary region.
... For example, the Naxi people, Hani people, and Tibetan people in Yunnan Province have the habit of gathering and eating wild plants [10][11][12]. The Shui people and Dong people of Guizhou Province have recorded the use of wild plants as starters for preparing fermented beverages [13,14]. Although some papers on the use of wild food plants have been published from the area of northern China (e.g., Inner Mongolia [15,16], Tibet [17], Shaanxi [18,19], and Gansu [20,21]), this area is not widely studied. ...
Background:
Knowledge of wild edible plants is an important part of traditional knowledge. It is closely related to traditional human agriculture, as well as biodiversity. This study aimed to conduct a detailed investigation and evaluation of wild edible plants that are collected and consumed by the Mongolian and Han locals in Daqinggou and to provide valuable data for the development and utilization of plant resources.
Methods:
In the 9 site visits to the area of Daqinggou during the period of 2017-2019, the authors used key informant interviews, semistructured interviews, and questionnaires to collect utilization information regarding precollected species of local wild edible plants. By combining the data obtained from 101 key informants, the authors used the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI), a quantitative index to evaluate the relative importance of the wild edible plants that were discussed in the aforementioned interviews.
Results:
The investigation results show that the Mongolian people provided 67 folk names, corresponding to 57 wild plants, and the Han Chinese provided 58 folk names, corresponding to 49 wild plants. A total of 61 edible wild plant species belonging to 29 families and 52 genera were recorded as edible resources for the locals in Daqinggou. The uses include grains, oil and fat resources, vegetables, fruits, beverages, condiments, and snacks. The most commonly reported purpose of wild edible plants is using them as vegetables, followed by using them as beverages and fruits. The most widely used edible parts are fruits, leaves, and other aerial parts. Eating raw and cooked plants are the usual methods of consuming wild edible plants according to the locals. In addition, the CFSI of 61 wild edible plant species shows that 27 species have characteristics of medical food.
Conclusions:
The knowledge and experience of naming and consuming wild plants by the Mongolian people and Han Chinese in Daqinggou are an important manifestation of the direct interaction between locals and plants. The CSFI evaluation of the wild edible plants consumed by the locals in Daqinggou establishes the utilization of some wild plants as part of the traditional knowledge of medical food.
