Traditional Knowledge of Edible Wild Plants Used by Indigenous Communities in Zongolica, Mexico

ABSTRACT

Edible wild plants (EWP) continue to be an important food source for indigenous communities. A survey was conducted to identify the consumption and management of EWP known as quelites in the Zongolica region of Mexico. 15 species of quelites are consumed mainly during the rainy season, whose local name is associated with the plant’s shape, smell and flavor. Changes in food patterns and land use threaten the permanence and consumption of these species. Indigenous and local knowledge is crucial for the use, management and conservation of this group of plants, whose consumption can be leveraged to address malnutrition and unhealthy food use.

KEYWORDS:

• Edible wild plants
• traditional knowledge
• food security
• quelites
• Zongolica

Acknowledgments

We thank the residents of the communities that participated in the survey. We also thank Jaime Tepole, Griselda Tzitzihua and Emiliano Colohua for data collection and the translation from Nahuatl to Spanish, as well as Prof. David Jimeno and Carolina Elizondo for the valuable support at the herbarium.

Availability of data and materials

Data and materials can be accessed by https://github.com/Edible-plants/Quelites.

Notes

1. Group of native Mesoamerican peoples, including the Mexicas and other ancient peoples of the Anahuac, who speak a common language: Nahuatl. According to Mexico’s Cultural Information System (SIC, Spanish acronym) (1. http://sic.gob.mx/ficha.php?table=grupo_etnico&table_id=1), today there are more than 1.6 million indigenous Nahuas, which means this group has the highest number of people who speak an indigenous language in the country.

2. The milpa is a system where maize is planted in rows; it is a unique cereal cropping system that allows planting maize in association with other crops that can be cared for individually. Milpa crops (maize, beans, squash, and quelites) can be sown at different times and different development stages, i.e., maize (to be eaten as corn on the cob), green beans (immature bean pods), squash fruits, and squash flowers (Mapes and Basurto 2016, 89).

Additional information

Funding

This research is result of the project entitled “Biocultural heritage as an alternative to improve food security and preserve natural resources” implemented to rescue traditional knowledge, fulfill part of the nutritional needs of the Nahua indigenous communities in Zongolica, Mexico and preserve biodiversity. This work was supported by The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) under grant number CACADESU −189/2016 and the Mexican Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) under grant number CONABIO-Promac/013/2018. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of CONABIO or SEMARNAT.