The Use of Edible Wild Plants and Fungi in Korean-Chinese Villages Lei FAN*, Junichi IMANISHI**, Katsue FUKAMACHI** and Shozo SHIBATA** Abstract: Korean-Chinese have a thorough knowledge of using edible wild plants and fungi (EWPF) as food. However, human population decreases and destruction of habitats of EWPF are leading to the fast disappearing of the traditional knowledge of EWPF use. This study aimed to discuss the sustainable use of EWPF based on traditional knowledge and habitat protection. We analyzed the traditional knowledge of EWPF use through the Participatory Rural Appraisal (Luoga et al., 2000). Further, we analyzed the EWPF collection locations by observing participant field collection. The results indicated that 15 wild fungus species and 41 wild plant species were used as ingredients in dishes and drinks; however, habitat destruction and limited collection range caused a shortage of EWPF resources. In an effort to protect the sustainable use of EWPF, we suggest that forestry and nature reserve policies should be improved by referring to the traditional knowledge of forest resource use, regulating EWPF collection to prevent overexploitation, and protecting the collection locations during new construction in villages. Key Words: Korean-Chinese, edible wild plants, edible wild fungi, traditional knowledge INTRODUCTION collected EWPF in the Yanbian (Liu, 2008). In Throughout the world, particularly in developing search of a better life, Korean immigrants crossed countries, wild plants make an important the Tumen River and settled in Yanbian between contribution to the life of local communities nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries (Jin and (Heywood, 1999). Wild food plants contribute to the Zhang, 2004). The last large migration from Korea nutrition, economy and even cultural identity of to the Yanbian began in the 1860s (Zhao, 2004). people in many parts of the world (Ghorbani et al., Many Korean-Chinese villages were formed in 2012). A few of species are of economic importance Yanbian because of the increase in immigration. as exports, but the wider value of edible wild fungi The early villages fronted the Tumen River, and lies in their extensive subsistence use in developing backed onto the mountain, a position that conforms countries (FAO, 2004). In the last few decades, to the Korean Fengshui Theory (Hao, 2008). there has been increasing worldwide attention on In addition to rice cultivation, Korean-Chinese of edible wild plants and fungi (EWPF). The the Yanbian collect EWPF for food supplementation. indigenous use of EWPF has also become a major Their daily diet is mainly rice, doenjang jjigae and issue in the ethnic minority communities of China. kimchi. Doenjang jjigae is a stew made with EWPF, The Korean-Chinese is one of 55 ethnic minorities vegetables, soybean paste, and tofu. Tofu is a food in China. The Korean-Chinese population was made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the 1,830,929 in 2010, which was 0.14% of China’s total resulting curds into soft white blocks. EWPF are population1). The Yanbian Korean Autonomous the ingredients of doenjang jjigae and kimchi. Prefecture (Yanbian) of Jilin Province is the largest EWPF have been used as kimchi more than 300 settlement of Korean-Chinese, with a Korean- years (Lin, 2007). Korean-Chinese eat medicated Chinese population of 801,088 in 2010. The Yanbian rice in traditional festivals. The medicated rice is is located in the northwestern Changbai Mountain cooked by mixing pine nuts, other types of nuts, and which is rich in plant resources. As early as honey into the rice (Lin, 2007). However, rural between mid-seventeenth and mid-nineteenth Korean-Chinese of Yanbian have been moving to centuries, a small number of Korean people crossed cities since the 1990s (Cui, 2007; Piao, 2013). As a the Tumen River for farming and hunting, and result, the traditional rice cultivation livelihood has *Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University **Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University Journal of Environmental Information Science 44-5 71 changed. The heritage of Korean-Chinese culture form of Participatory Rural Appraisal (Luoga et al., Table. 1 Details of discussions on the traditional use of EWPF has been negatively impacted by decreasing and 2000) and face-to-face interviews. The discussion 1. Site Jingxin Township of Yanbian ageing population (Piao, 2012; Zheng, 2012). issues were about the species and their utilization 2. Survey periodFebruary 2014-March 2015 3. Participants Village leaders, collectors, elders However, the loss of traditional knowledge of EWPF and habitats of EWPF (Table. 1). Eleven discussion 4. Methods Discussion and face-to-face interviews use derived from the decrease in rural population groups were held in nine villages, because village 5 (1) The dishes and drinks of the daily diet. (2) Species and vernacular names of EWPF. has not been raised as a concern. comprised three smaller settlements. Five persons 5. Issues (3) Edible parts and preparation method of EWPF. On the other hand, Construction of a New Socialist participated in each discussion group: one village (4) Harvest period and habitats of EWPF. Countryside (2005) emphasized the improvement of leader, two collectors, and two elders, including two hot pot, kimchi, medicated rice, medicated wine, the public facilities and living conditions in rural females. A total of 55 persons participated in the naengmyeon, rice cake, soup, stir-fry, and sweets. areas, encouraged the centralization of scattered discussion groups. We listed the EWPF species and Naengmyeon is a noodle dish made of noodles, household, and promoted urban-rural integration2). calculated the percentage of participants who kimchi, meat, eggs, and cold noodle soup. Fruit As a result, new roads, new houses, and new Fig. 1 Research site location mentioned each species. After the discussion, we drinks are cold drinks made by soaking wild fruits residential lands have been constructed in rural Korean-Chinese population was 4,024, which was visited participants’ homes to observe the in hot water and adding sugar after cooling. Hot pot areas during the village reconstruction. Therefore, 70.7% of the total population of township. Villagers traditional practices of EWPF use and to collect is a meal where ingredients are cooked in a traditional Korean-Chinese villages have been collect timber and non-timber forest resources more detailed information. simmering pot at the center of the dining table; the changed to new villages in recent years. Moreover, (including fuel wood, wild plants, wild fungi, and 1.3 Participant field collection ingredients include EWPF, vegetables, and sliced because the nutritional value of EWPF has been wild animals) for daily use. The Natural Forest We chose the EWPF species that were mentioned meat. Kimchi is a fermented dish made of EWPF growing in importance in the daily diet of urban Protection Project implemented in 2000 restricted by more than 50% of participants as subjects, and vegetables with many seasonings. Medicated inhabitants, the market demand has grown the logging in forest3). Jingxin Township has been selected one collector who knows more collection rice is cooked by mixing wild nuts and fruit into rice. significantly in recent years. As a result, some included in the Hunchun Natural Reserve since locations from two collectors for each village, and Medicated wine is a transparent medicated liquid EWPF species that are important ingredients for 2001, which protects Siberian tiger and other wild participated each collector’s field collection two obtained by using wine as a solvent to soak out the the Korean-Chinese daily diet, such as Tricholoma animals4). The Construction of New Socialist times from April to October 2014. In total, 22 times effective components of EWPF. Rice cakes are a matsutake, are in danger of overexploitation (Fu et Countryside has been implemented here since 2007, of participant field collections were conducted. We method of eating using the leaves of wild plants to al., 2004). Therefore, it was presumed that the and the local government has been building new recorded the collection locations on a map during wrap rice and kimchi. Stir-fry is a dish made from changes in village land use and the rising demand roads, new houses, and residential lands in villages the field collection. Moreover, we verified the mixed EWPF, vegetables, and meat fried in a small for EWPF would result in their overexploitation in recent years. Jingxin Township borders Russia to dominant tree type in every forest compartment on amount of hot oil. and habitat destruction. the east and North Korea to the southwest. The the 2007 Jingxin Township Vegetation Map (scale 2.2 Traditional use of EWPF Although previous articles described the EWPF longest river is the Tumen River, flowing through 1:25000), and divided the forests into five categories A total of 15 wild fungus species and 41 wild plants use of the Korean-Chinese ethnic minority using a nine villages. Here we call the villages as village 1, according to the dominant trees: broad-leaved species were mentioned in the Participatory Rural literature analysis, we still have a poor village 2, and so on (Fig. 1). The village refers to the forest, coniferous forest, mixed broad-leaved and Appraisal and interviews (Table. 2). The species understanding of the species used as EWPF and the administrative village, which is the lowest level of coniferous forest, planted broad-leaved forest, and identification, all names and authors, followed the extent to which Korean-Chinese depend on them. government administration in China. The nine planted coniferous forest. In addition to forest lands, standard literature including Useful Plants and Therefore, this study, using traditional Korean- villages were chosen as the research sites because we verified the other land use information through Fungi of Yanbian (Jin et al., 1990); Illustrated Book Chinese villages as research sites, analyzes the they were formed soon after the start of the last Google Maps.