Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan
Ethnobotanical studies on foraging are essential for documenting neglected or previously unknown wild food plants, which may be crucial for promoting the diversification of food sources and contributing to food security and sovereignty. The Pashtuns of the Marwat tribe in NW Pakistan are renowned fo...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| author | Tehsin Ullah Shujaul Mulk Khan Abdullah Abdullah Naji Sulaiman Ateef Ullah Muhammad Sirab Khan Shakil Ahmad Zeb Andrea Pieroni |
| author_facet | Tehsin Ullah Shujaul Mulk Khan Abdullah Abdullah Naji Sulaiman Ateef Ullah Muhammad Sirab Khan Shakil Ahmad Zeb Andrea Pieroni |
| author_sort | Tehsin Ullah |
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| description | Ethnobotanical studies on foraging are essential for documenting neglected or previously unknown wild food plants, which may be crucial for promoting the diversification of food sources and contributing to food security and sovereignty. The Pashtuns of the Marwat tribe in NW Pakistan are renowned for their traditional customs and food systems. Studying the wild food plants (WFPs) and their associated bio-cultural diversity is quintessential for fostering food security and sovereignty in the region. The research presented here investigated the area’s wild food plants traditionally gathered and consumed. The field survey was conducted in 2023 with 87 study participants. A total of 41 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families was documented. The findings include food uses for <i>Atriplex tatarica</i>, <i>Amaranthus graecizans</i>, and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i> that have rarely been recorded in Pakistan. Moreover, the use of <i>Citrulus colocynthus</i> fruits in jam and <i>Zygophyllum indicum</i> leaves and stems in beverages are novel contributions to the gastronomy of NW Pakistan. The comparison with other food ethnobotanical studies conducted in North Pakistan suggests some similarities between the Lakki Marwat traditional WFPs and those from other semi-arid areas in North Pakistan, both Pashtun and non-Pashtun. While the findings underline the significant role of WFPs in local cuisine, we observed that this local knowledge is also threatened: the rapid spread of fast and industrialized food, modernization, and cultural dilution has led to an alarming reduction in these practices among the younger generations. Therefore, suitable measures to safeguard traditional plants, food knowledge, practices, and the associated culture are urgently needed. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that we act now. Furthermore, preserving wild food plant-related cultural heritage may be fundamental to promoting food security and public health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c2de6f476924384a10ec8b6a6b894b4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-5c2de6f476924384a10ec8b6a6b894b42025-08-20T02:28:09ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-11-01161168410.3390/d16110684Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern PakistanTehsin Ullah0Shujaul Mulk Khan1Abdullah Abdullah2Naji Sulaiman3Ateef Ullah4Muhammad Sirab Khan5Shakil Ahmad Zeb6Andrea Pieroni7Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, PakistanDepartment of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, PakistanDepartment of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, PakistanUniversity of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, ItalyDepartment of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, PakistanDepartment of Botany, University of Science and Technology, Bannu P.O. Box 28123, PakistanDepartment of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad 45320, PakistanUniversity of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo, ItalyEthnobotanical studies on foraging are essential for documenting neglected or previously unknown wild food plants, which may be crucial for promoting the diversification of food sources and contributing to food security and sovereignty. The Pashtuns of the Marwat tribe in NW Pakistan are renowned for their traditional customs and food systems. Studying the wild food plants (WFPs) and their associated bio-cultural diversity is quintessential for fostering food security and sovereignty in the region. The research presented here investigated the area’s wild food plants traditionally gathered and consumed. The field survey was conducted in 2023 with 87 study participants. A total of 41 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families was documented. The findings include food uses for <i>Atriplex tatarica</i>, <i>Amaranthus graecizans</i>, and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i> that have rarely been recorded in Pakistan. Moreover, the use of <i>Citrulus colocynthus</i> fruits in jam and <i>Zygophyllum indicum</i> leaves and stems in beverages are novel contributions to the gastronomy of NW Pakistan. The comparison with other food ethnobotanical studies conducted in North Pakistan suggests some similarities between the Lakki Marwat traditional WFPs and those from other semi-arid areas in North Pakistan, both Pashtun and non-Pashtun. While the findings underline the significant role of WFPs in local cuisine, we observed that this local knowledge is also threatened: the rapid spread of fast and industrialized food, modernization, and cultural dilution has led to an alarming reduction in these practices among the younger generations. Therefore, suitable measures to safeguard traditional plants, food knowledge, practices, and the associated culture are urgently needed. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that we act now. Furthermore, preserving wild food plant-related cultural heritage may be fundamental to promoting food security and public health.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/11/684ethnobotanyfood heritagetraditional knowledgewild food plants |
| spellingShingle | Tehsin Ullah Shujaul Mulk Khan Abdullah Abdullah Naji Sulaiman Ateef Ullah Muhammad Sirab Khan Shakil Ahmad Zeb Andrea Pieroni Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan Diversity ethnobotany food heritage traditional knowledge wild food plants |
| title | Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan |
| title_full | Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan |
| title_short | Bio-Cultural Diversity for Food Security: Traditional Wild Food Plants and Their Folk Cuisine in Lakki Marwat, Northwestern Pakistan |
| title_sort | bio cultural diversity for food security traditional wild food plants and their folk cuisine in lakki marwat northwestern pakistan |
| topic | ethnobotany food heritage traditional knowledge wild food plants |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/11/684 |
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