Adaptations of culturally and nutritionally important traditional foods in Eastern Himalaya: A case study with Adi women of Arunachal Pradesh

作者：Singh Anamika; Singh Ranjay K^*; Bhardwaj Rakesh; Singh A K

来源：Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 2012, 11(4): 623-633.

• Adi women
• Indigenous biodiversity
• Cultural capital
• Traditional foods
• Ethnomedicines

Adi tribal women living in far-flung areas of mountainous ecosystems of Arunachal Pradesh have evolved tremendous amount of traditionally knowledge (TK) to identify, collect, process and use biological resources as foods, nutrition and ethnomedicines. In this article, we discuss about the use of culturally important indigenous biodiversity used by Adi women as food, nutrition and ethnomedicines. Data reported in this study is based on three projects completed with Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. Information pertaining to study was collected using conventional and participatory methods. Results reveal that Adi women are knowledgeable in accessing indigenous biodiversity to use in making culturally, nutritionally and medicinally rich foods. A number of uncultivated indigenous plants and crop resources are adapted to prepare traditional foods. Beside, a large number of wild animals and insects are integral part of food system. Most of the foods are consumed in boiled forms, fermented and alcoholic beverages. Few most commonly consumed indigenous plants are onger (Zanthoxylum rhetsa), poi (Basella rubra), dhenkia saag (Diplazium esculentum), marsang (Spilanthes acmella), ongin (Clerodendrum colebrookianum), kalmu (a creeper) and rori (a herb) and considered most dependable food plants. These ethnobotanicals are source of income and as well as the part of adaptive strategies on food security during the climatic variability. The other species such as banko, champa, fayong, gende, kekir, kopi, koppir, kordoi, mamang, marshang, onger, ongin, oyik, paput, etc. are observed as part of both food and ethnomedicines. A number of fermented foods and alcoholic traditional beverages are consumed by Adi tribe, and make them novel in food habits from others. Adi have rich socio-cultural capitals to sustain adaptive practices associated with traditional foods.

• 出版日期2012-10