The role of wild foliage plants in the diet†

Fieldwork was carried out in Lushoto District, Tanzania, from December 1975 through February 1977, with support from the National Science Foundation (Grant SOC‐7513304).

While most human societies make some use of wild plants in the diet, there have been few systematic studies of the extent to which such plants are actually consumed, or of their nutritional significance. Data gathered in Lushoto District, Tanzania, indicate that vegetable relishes prepared from the foliage of wild plants are an integral and essential element in the diet of the Shambaa people at all seasons of the year. Introduced cultivated vegetables are not replacing wild relishes; the use of the label “supplementary,” implying that they are peripheral to the diet, is inappropriate. KEY WORDS: nutrition, Tanzania, vegetable relishes, wild plants, gathering, michicha, indigenous foods.

Notes

Fieldwork was carried out in Lushoto District, Tanzania, from December 1975 through February 1977, with support from the National Science Foundation (Grant SOC‐7513304).

Associate Professor of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles; during 1978–1979, Assistant Program Director for Anthropology, National Science Foundation.