Wild Food Traditionally Used by the Indigenous People of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, Kerala, India

Abstract

This paper attempts an ethnobiological investigation, performed during 2003 to 2006, to collect, identify and document information on wild food traditionally used by the indigenous people of the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Palakkad district of Kerala, India. During the investigation 83 species of plants were found to be used by the tribes as vegetables, wild fruits, beverages and in other preparations. Vegetables formed the largest group which included roots, tubers, young leaves and buds, inflorescence, ripe/unripe fruits and seeds.

Among fauna, 34 species of mammals, 65 of fishes, 3 of reptiles, 5 of frogs and toads, 10 of birds and 5 of insects were recorded to be used as food by tribals of the Sanctuary. Besides meat, other products like honey, larvae of honey bees, eggs of crocodile and birds are also consumed by the tribals. A paste of Red Ants Oecophylla smaragdina is eaten as a condiment with curry. The tongue of Varanus and meat of fruit bat is used to treat chronic asthma. Many food plants in the wild are also used for medicinal purposes such as Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicol., Boerhavia chinensis (L.) Rottb. Ensete superbum, which serve both as food and medicine. There is much scope for improving the quality of food resources in the wild by using modem agronomic research, experimental, cytogenetical and molecular studies.