Traditional Foods and Beverages of Himachal Pradesh
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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 6(1), January 2007, pp. 239-244 Prioritization of cultivated and wild edibles by local people in the Uttaranchal hills of Indian Himalaya Chandra Prakash Kala National Medicinal Plants Board, Chandralok Building, 36 Janpath, New Delhi 110001 Email:[email protected] Received 25 May 2006; revised 10 October 2006 The paper deals with the preferences of local communities on the cultivated and wild edible plant species in an Indian Himalayan state, Uttaranchal. The state is comprised of 13 districts, which have 5 major tribal communities (i.e. Bhotiya, Jaunsari, Boksha, Tharu and Raji). The preferences of local people on the cultivated and wild edible plant species varied across the different localities. A total 23 cultivated food crop species and 15 wild edible fruit species were prioritized as the most preferred species by the local people in the study area. Of the prioritized food crops, Triticum aestivum, Oriza sativa, Eluesine coracana, Hordium vulgare and Brassica campestris were common preferences of local people, whereas of the wild edible fruits Myrica esculenta, Berberis asiatica, Rubus ellipticus and Ficus auriculata were the common preferences of local people in Uttaranchal. The preferences for different food plants by the local people are further discussed in the changing socio-cultural and socio-economic context. Key Words: Wild edible plants, Uttaranchal, Bhotiya, Jaunsari, Boksha, Tharu Raji IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A01G1/00, A01G17/00, A47G19/00, A23L1/00, A23L1/06, A23L2/02 People living in the rural areas of the Himalaya utilize cropping systems in the Indian Himalaya. Within a variety of biological resources for livelihoods. Uttaranchal state of Indian Himalaya, more than 100 Animal husbandry and marginal agriculture are the varieties of paddy and 170 varieties of kidney beans major source of their economy1,2. Besides, they have along with many varieties of wheat, barley and pulses distributed their production risks across the various are known to cultivate in the baranaja system of subsistence activities such as pastoralism, handicraft, agricultural practice10. Of 675 edibles known in the collection and sale of wild edibles and medicinal Indian Himalaya, more than 340 wild edibles have plants because of irregular agricultural practices and been reported exclusively in Uttaranchal state11. low agricultural yields2-4. In order to check the over- Despite such a rich diversity of wild edibles and exploitation of useful plant species, they worship agricultural crops, meager information exists on the many ethnobotanically important species and their indigenous use patterns and socio-economic status of immediate environment. The geographical isolation these valuable resources12-17. Historically, the wild has preserved the indigenous practices and knowledge edibles and indigenous crops have constituted a of the Himalayan people related to their immediate sustainable source for subsistence in most indigenous environment, agricultural systems and use of forest communities. However, at present, the use of these resources5-6. Since cultivated and wild edibles are plant species has reduced considerably resulting in the integrated into the culture of local people, these edible impoverished diets of local people8. species reflect the history of such people, their Although, the Himalaya sustains a great diversity traditions and the ecological and social systems7-8. of valuable natural resources, the local people may The indigenous agricultural system in the Himalaya have preferences over the use and importance of both sustains a great diversity of crops and cultivars; of crops and wild edibles. This aspect is utmost these many species are little known to the lowland significance and interest on account of the local societies9. Shifting cultivation in the eastern Himalaya people’s knowledge and preferences over plant use. (locally called as jhum) and sedentary cultivation in Unfortunately, there is no study exists on this the western Himalaya such as baranaja are the two important aspect of ethnobiology in Uttaranchal hills major agricultural practices of traditional mixed of Indian Himalaya. The preferred plant species, 240 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 6, No. 1, JANUARY 2007 Due to the geographical diversity and inaccessibility, a well-known feature of the mountainous region, Uttaranchal has remained isolated from rest of the agricultural plains of northern India, and thus, it has preserved some of the old practices, traditions and ethnic norms of various resource use patterns4,19. About 90% area of the state is hilly. Of the major tribal communities Bhotiya, Raji and Jaunsari are inhabited in the hills of Uttaranchal. Pithoragarh district obtains highest population of two major tribal communities (Bhotiya and Raji) and Chamoli district obtains Bhotiya tribal community especially the wild edibles and indigenous crops, if (Table1). The literacy rate is highest in the Pauri documented properly, might be developed as a vital district of Uttaranchal. source of income generation as well as nutritional requirements. Realizing the significance of local people’s traditional knowledge on the varieties of Methodology wild edibles and cultivated crops, the study was Three hill districts of Uttaranchal state, carried out in the hilly villages of Uttaranchal state. Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Pauri were studied for Attempts were made to quantify the preferences of informant-based evaluation of cultivated and wild local people on important species of wild edibles and edibles considering that mountain people occupy a cultivated crops. great deal of traditional knowledge on the various Uttaranchal state is well known for its rich biotic edible species. The local people cultivate various crop wealth and cultural mosaic of diverse nature. The species in the hilly terrain and also gather variety of state is comprised of 13 districts and lies between 28° edible fruits from the wild. Structured questionnaire surveys were conducted in the villages of all three hill 43′ to 31° 8′ N and 77° 35’ to 81° 2′ E. Uttaranchal is districts of Uttaranchal during 2004-2005. Since the bounded by Himachal Pradesh to the Northwest, by local people speak Hindi, the questionnaire was Tibet to the North, by Nepal to the East, and by Uttar developed in Hindi. Ten villages in each district were Pradesh to the South (Fig. 1). The average rainfall approached and minimum 10 households in each recorded in the state is 1 to 2 cm per year. Elevation village were surveyed. An attempt was made to ranges from 210 m to 7,817 m over the total area of interview the male or female head of household 53,485 km2. Uttaranchal covers about 12.18% of the surveyed, and in case of their absence the elder person total Indian Himalaya, and 40% of its total area falls of the family was interviewed. The other members of under different forest types, some of the major the household were often present during the interview vegetation types classified along the altitudinal to clarify the points made by the main respondent. gradient are tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, sub- alpine and alpine. Uttaranchal is inhabited by a Each respondent was asked to select and prioritize population of 8479562 people, of which 78% fall 5 important crop species and 5 important wild edible under rural category18. The male female ratio in the fruit species. The prioritization of species was based state has increased from 936 to 964 during 1991- on the individual interpretation of each respondent. In 2001. About 20% of the state population has been this approach, the informants themselves had valued classified into the categories Schedule Castes and the importance of edible plant species. In order to Schedule Tribes. The state has 5 major Schedule verify the identity of plant species mentioned by the Tribe communities such as Bhotiya, Jaunsari, Boksha, respondents, field visits were undertaken with the Tharu and Raji. Uttaranchal is known as a Devbhumi respondent and in his inability other person of his or the land of Gods because it possesses several family and village. The collected plant specimens sacred shrines and places such as Panch Kedar, were again verified from the respondents who had Panch Badri and Panch Prayag. Several sacred rivers mentioned the species as a preferred one. The originate from the lofty snow clad mountain peaks of herbarium specimen of each collected species was the state, which include the Ganga, Gori-Ganga, Kali- prepared and deposited in the Herbaria of HNB Ganga, Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. Garhwal University, Uttaranchal. The collected KALA: WILD EDIBLE PLANTS OF UTTARANCHAL HILLS 241 information was analyzed for the frequency of limited areas. Elusine coracana, Panicum miliaceum importance. and Echinochloa frumentacea were some of the important crops once cultivated throughout in the Results hilly villages of Uttaranchal, but at present, these The preferences of local people on the importance crops have vanished from many villages. In spite of of various cultivated and wild edibles varied across the severe decline in these crops, the local people the various edible species and districts of Uttaranchal have prioritized them as highly preferred species. surveyed during the present investigations. A total of Shrinking hill agricultural systems and scarcity of 23 important cultivated food crop species were traditional food crops have made the local people to selected by the local people of Uttaranchal, of these eat the exotic foods.