Wild Edible Plants and Their Traditional Use in the Human Nutrition in Bosnia‐Herzegovina

Abstract

This article presents first systematical procedure results on traditional usage of wild, edible, vitaminous, and aromatic plants in the nutrition of human population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (W. Balkan peninsula; SE Europe). By method of an ethnobotanical interview, which comprised of over 250 persons, whose average age was 55, and by research on edible wild flora all around Bosnia and Herzegovina that extended over many years, detected were 308 plants belonging to 73 plant families that are being used in nutrition and diet of indigenous population. Edible wild plants are used as delicious vegetables, fruits, peer and spices, in either fresh, raw, or dried condition. Plants are being used for the making of cooked food (33%), fresh salads (19%), mush and bread (17%), or as fresh, wild fruits and drinks (13%) or as spices and ethno-pharmacological potions (10%). The majority of identified, wild edible plants may satisfy the daily human need for elementary nutrition material, particularly those of vitamins C and A, and for some minerals, according to the regulations of World Health Organization (WHO).

Keywords:

• nutrition
• wild food
• human ecology
• ethnobotany
• biodiversity
• Balkan peninsula

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author owes gratitude to the people who have supported him during the difficult field investigation, especially to Mr. Sedik Velic, technician of the Department of Pharmaceutical Botany of the Faculty of Science University of Sarajevo. The author is also thankfull to Mr. Mirnes Zukanovic, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo and to English language expert Ms. Sabina Trakic for efforts made in the translation of this article into English, and the entire revision of its original text written in the Bosnian language.

Herewith the author would like to express my deepest gratitude to the great man and scientist, distinguished Professor Rob Verpoort for showing enormous understanding and providing me with the support by his highly useful suggestions, both as a friend and collegue, in order to give an adequate final form to this article, which would be acceptable to the international, scientific audience.

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