Ladakh: Phyto-diversity
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Ladakh Phyto-diversity (series-1)
Wild edible plants: A potential food resource for Ladakh By Konchok Dorjey, Friday, October 18, 2013
Leh: Ladakh, besides harbouring an inexplicable and distinctive culture, tradition, festivals and sacred landscape, is known to exhibit a well-built tradition and folk knowledge associated with the usage pattern of several high altitude wild edible plants which are capable of growing even in extreme sub-zero temperature. Since the dawn of history, in the barren land of Ladakh where, otherwise the existence of life has been impractical, the indigenous people have been using plants as only source of their food and medicine.
This is worth mentioning here that Ladakh harbours long history of traditional use of wild plants in their local recipes and preparations. Moreover, the different tribes in Ladakh –Boto, Balti, Purig, Changpa etc exhibits quite exceptional and diverse folk knowledge and conventional usage of plants. Different wild relatives of plants find their exceptional way in different traditional Ladakhi recipes.
Of the known wild edible plant species and varieties, Capparis spinosa (kabra), Nepeta floccose (shalmagog), Allium carolinianum (tsotse), Rheum spiciforme (lachu), Rhodiola tibetica (shrolo marpo), Rhodiola imbricate (shrolo serpo), Arnibia euchroma (demok), Ephedra gerardiana (tsepad), Carum carvi (kosnyot), Bunium persicum (zera nagpo), Mentha longifolia (phololing), Potentilla anserine (toma), Lepidium latifolium (shangsho), Hippophae rhamnoides (tsestalulu), Prunus armeniaca (chuli) and Juglans regia (starga) constitutes a small number of the imperative and nutritious untraped edible plants consumed in different areas across Ladakh.
Usage pattern of various plant taxa exhibits considerable variation: Allium carolinianum, A. Prezewalskinam and Carum carvi were prominent aromatic species used as spice and condiments in different local dishes. Their seeds and leaves were used as flavouring agent in local recipes and pickles. The leaves of Lepidium latifolium (shangsho) form an important constituent of tson-ki-tigg, a local recipe prepared by mixing vegetables and barley flour.
The young leaves and tender shoots of Capparis spinosa were used as a fried vegetable, known as Kabra tsotma, by local inhabitants of Ladakh, especially in Sham region. The leaves of Mentha longifolia were used in preparation of chutneys by locals and occasionally mixed in curd as flavouring component while the leaves of Nepeta glutinosa were mixed in curd or lassi to prepare Tangthurr, a special traditional recipe.
The tender shoots of Rhodiola tibetica and R. imbricate were rinsed properly in running water and mixed in curd to prepare Shrolo Tangthoor while the roots of Potentilla anserina were edible and eaten raw. These indicate that Ladakh is, perhaps, one of the richest repository of traditional knowledge based on edibility, nutritional status, indigenous recipes and medicinal uses of plants.
It has been, for a long time, wondering to have seen Ladakh going through relentless changes, be it long-standing culture and tradition or life style of world known civilized Ladakhis. There used to be a time, some years back, when children used to go, immediately after back from school, to fields or up hills to collect wild edible plants like Caparis, Nepeta, Rodiola etc. But, today, there is perhaps not even a single person who turns their gaze at these wild green resources. This ignorance is a mistake. This is, if truth be told, unfortunate and embarrassing that this part of our prosperous tradition is eroding at such a fast pace that the time is not so far when we would be entirely devoid of our rich phyto-tradition.
Why are Ladakhis neglecting these natural assets? What makes them to do a swift shift to western foods and vegetables? Several factors came into play when we hunt the root cause for such ignorance and swift shift in phyto-food tradition. One of the prime cause, arguably or inarguably, is the rapid development in horticulture sector. Since 1998 or so, Ladakh has witnessed an extensive growth in horticulture and forestry, such that wild edible plants became worthless. Horticultural practices and home grown vegetables has grown to such large extent that people do not bother about the wild edible plants.
Effect of tourism on this part of our tradition cannot be ignored. Globalisation and westernization has forced Ladakhis to adopt western preparations and recipes at the cost of our decades old food traditions. Young Ladakhis hardly have the knowledge of wild phytofoods and traditional methods of preparing enchanting local recipes including paba, thukpa, tsonthuk, thangthur etc. but, they do have pretty enough knowledge of western foods and preparations. This is embarrassing that our coming generation do not feel trouble in losing our own tradition but simply catching undeletable alien culture. Lack of awareness and wisdom among young masses is an additional factor responsible for eroding ethno-botany and tradition in Ladakh.
(The author is a research scholar of Botany at University of Jammu; feedback at dorjeyusa@gmail.com )
