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(Family Araceae) in Karbi Anglong District, Assam NeBIO I www.nebio.in I June 2019 I 10(2): 80-84 ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF DIETARY USE AND CULINARY KNOWLEDGE OF AROIDS (FAMILY ARACEAE) IN KARBI ANGLONG DISTRICT, ASSAM Robindra Teron Department of Life Science & Bioinformatics, Assam University- Diphu Campus, Diphu, Karbi Anglong, Assam- 782 462, India Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Dietary use, culinary knowledge and conservation of aroids among ethnic groups of Karbi Anglong district, Assam state (India) is presented here. Method of investigation included participatory inventory, semi-structured interview and on-farm demonstrations by key farmers. Ethnobotanical knowledge of utilization of 32 aroid species is reported. Both cultivated and wild aroids, form major component of food basket and also contribute towards household livelihood. Colocasia esculenta with 18 locally recognised farmer varieties is by far the most extensively utilized species. Culinary knowledge of aroids occupies unique position in the food practice of tribal communities. For the presence of acridity factor raphides of calcium oxalate crystals, aroids require special processing for consumption. Culinary knowledge of aroids is polarised with women and the same is acquired after long experience of personal involvement. Ethnic communities are preservers of indigenous varieties of aroids which they continue to conserve in their jhum fields and homestead gardens. Folks also practice sustainable gathering techniques that contribute to the management and conservation of aroid diversity. KEYWORDS: Aroids, diet, culinary, Karbi Anglong, Assam. Introduction which is attributed to raphides of calcium oxalate. For this, aroids Karbi Anglong district (10,434 sq km, 25⁰32′ to 26⁰37′ N and require processing to remove the irritating factor. Many species 92⁰09′ to 93⁰53′ E) in Assam state, Northeast India is inhabited are consumed as substitute for rice during scarcity of the latter by different ethnic groups such as Karbi, Dimasa, Rengma Naga, while some aroids are traded to generate cash income. Aroids Kuki, Garo, Tiwa, Pnars, Boro and a few plain tribes. The people thus, contribute to food security, livelihoods and household well are mainly agrarian and agriculture is their main occupation. Rice being of many resource poor families in the district. Taro or is the staple food supplemented by wild vegetables (leaves, fruits, Colocasia esculenta, with many farmer varieties, is the most rhizomes, etc). Aroids constitute one of the important categories extensively cultivated aroid species. The species also grows in of plants in the diet of ethnic groups in the district. Both cultivated wild habitat as weeds and form potential resource of human food and wild species are consumed throughout the year. Farmers in and animal feed particularly for pigs. Culinary knowledge of aroids the region recognise and cultivate many local varieties and in the is polarised in tribal societies of Karbi Anglong district- women process conserving genetic diversity of this important food plants. have superior culinary knowledge of aroids than their male All parts are consumed but people maintain preference during counterpart. Therefore, selection and method of processing is different seasons of the year due to presence of irritating principle critical for palatability, taste and texture of aroids as human food. Received 4 February 2019 I Accepted 12 April 2019 I Published online 21 May 2019 Citation: Teron, R. 2019. Ethnobotanical study of dietary use and culinary knowledge of Aroids (family Araceae) in Karbi Anglong district, Assam. NeBIO 10(2): 80-84 Acknowledgements I am grateful to all informants and ethnic farmers for their participation and sharing their knowledge. I thank University Grants Commission, New Delhi for financial grant. Copyright © Teron. 2019. NECEER, Imphal allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication. NeBIO, An International Journal of Environment and Biodiversity Official publication of North East Centre for Environmental Education (NECEER), Imphal I ISSN 2278-2281 (Online), 0976-3597 (Print) I www.nebio.in Teron » Ethnobotanical study of dietary use and culinary knowledge of Aroids in Karbi Anglong district, Assam NeBIO 10(2): 80-84 Acquiring knowledge of farmers’ varieties of aroids is highly visiting potential habitats of aroids and free walk along villages empirical but not uniform; children are slow learners but some and forest transect with key informants. I interviewed 33 women adults are not able to identify all aroids in his/her region of belonging to the Karbi, Dimasa, Tiwa and Pnar groups to settlement. In recent years, wild taro is being largely exploited by document dietary use of aroids- selection, culinary knowledge and rural folk in piggery; the latter occupation has been source of conservation of aroids. Narrations of folks were substantiated by livelihoods in rural Karbi Anglong. Dietary use and culinary personal observations and demonstrations by farmers in knowledge, and management and conservation of aroids are homestead gardens and jhum fields. The plants were collected objectives of the present investigation. from natural habitats (wetlands, forest, etc) for botanical identification (Rao and Verma 1976) and processed for preparation Aroid commonly refers to the members of plant family Araceae, a of voucher specimens following the methods of Jain and Rao monocot group with about 105 genera and 3040 species (1977). distributed throughout the world, mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions but there are also many temperate species. Results and discussion Aroids are the world’s oldest crops, and were the most widely Dietary use of aroids distributed starch food plants during the 16th and 19th century. The Aroids are consumed by populations in all parts of the globe. most common use of aroids around the world is as food Aroids constitute potential source of diet, nutrition and livelihoods (Mathews, 2004; Pardales Jr., 1997) but requires processing to in rural Karbi Anglong district. Many species are cultivated by remove crystals of calcium oxalates. Croat (1994) reported use of farmers in homestead gardens and in jhum fields while some 161 species of Araceae as medicines by populations in North and species are gathered from wild habitats for consumption and South America. Most aroids are edible and an equal number are other purposes. Thirty two species are reported here (one medicinals. Aroids contribute to global production of tuberous specimen has not been identified); summary of aroids consumed crops. Many aroids are used as famine food by indigenous people and techniques of cooking is presented in Table 1. Taro or (or tribal communities) around the world. Among aroids taro Colocasia esculenta with 18 farmers’ varieties is the most (Colocasia sp.) is the most cultivated genus worldwide. Taro is extensively cultivated species. Taro also occurs in wild habitats believed to have originated in South East Asia including India like wetlands, swamps and along roads as weeds and often (Watt, 1889); in India, taro is cultivated in almost all the states gathered for consumption during spring and autumn seasons. (Edison et al, 2006) for food and commerce. Despite rapid Though all parts of aroids are consumed whole plant is gathered research on aroids around the world information on taxonomy, in case of a few species only, for example Colocasia esculenta diversity and distribution of aroidsin North Eastern region of India and Lasia spinosa (all parts); wild taro, Homalomena and is not adequate (Rao and Verma, 1976) and study of folk use of Amorphophallus (leaf, petiole); Amorphophallus sp., Remusatia aroids among its diverse ethnicity deserve urgent attention from and Alocasia indica (corm). Spathes of all cultivated species and all fields of study. wild taro are consumed; it forms the most revered delicacy over other edible parts. The common preparation techniques for Wetlands and tropical forests are common habitats of arums also consumption are baking, roasting, boiling and fermentation; called aroids. The large genera of Araceae includes Anthurium baking and roasting is adopted for petioles of Amorphophallus sp. (900 species), Philodendron (500 species) and Arisaema (150 only and for corms of some species. Fermentation has been species). In India some 4 genera and 136 species are found with reported for Homalomena aromatica, Colocasia esculenta and familiar examples like Colocasia, Amorphophallus, Monstera, Lasia spinosa. During famine, aroids particularly corms and tubers Pistia, Arisaema, Pothos, Rapidophora, etc. Representative of form source of starchy food which people use to tide over hunger. Araceae exhibit diverse habits such as perennial and tuberous Corms and tubers of wild species are also exploited as famine herbs (Arisaema, Arum), some are climber shrubs (Monstera, food; the most prominent with long history of use is Lasia spinosa. Pothos) or true epiphytes (Anthurium) or aquatic (Pistia) or marshy Aroids both cultivated and wild species provide dietary diversity in herbs (Acorus, Lasia). Flowers borne in spathe are protogynous traditional tribal food systems; consumers have positive attitude and pollination takes place through the agency of insects towards this local plant food. It provides an opportunity for (Entomophily). Insects are attracted by the colourful spathe and income generation throughout the year which many low resource the strong offensive odour emitted
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