Traditional Processing Techniques and Consumption of the Lesser-Known Species of Food Value by the Lepchas of Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2024/v150i6/170307Keywords:
Taboo, Tisane, Toxic, Traditional knowledge, Wild food.Abstract
This study provides information about the wild species taken as food and species that are used in making tisane (compared to tea) by the Lepchas, the indigenous community of Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya. These food and beverages were used exclusively in the past. The species mentioned in this article are consumed as food only after certain treatment which is the traditional procedure of removing the toxicity, bitterness or the substance that causes terrible itching sensation. Eighteen species under thirteen families are used for making tisane by the tribe. Nine species belonging to eight families documented here are consumed as food by the tribe after following certain treatment producers. Younger respondents have limited knowledge over the use and treatment procedure of the wild edibles. Astilbe rivularis Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don and Manihot esculenta Crantz has the highest Relative Frequency of Citation or quotation index (RFC) while Castanopsis indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A.DC., has the highest Use Value (UV) based on its use in the sample population. Some medicinal properties are also found in the processed food and tisane.
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