The Plants Leaves Used to Wrap Tamales in the Mexican State of Veracruz

Lascurain, Maite; Binnqüist, Citlalli López; Avendaño, Sergio; Covarrubias, Melissa

doi:10.1007/s12231-017-9396-9

Cited by 6 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…However, only one species, Rhapis excelsa , was liana and no shrubs were discovered. When compared with previous investigations [4, 5, 13], the species of plant leaves were quite different from our findings. In Veracruz of Mexica, Marantaceae, Heliconiaceae, and Araliaceae were the three most dominant families whose leaves were used to wrap tamales , and only one common species was found, namely, Zea mays whose leaves could be used as ZLs by Chinese people [4].…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…When compared with previous investigations [4, 5, 13], the species of plant leaves were quite different from our findings. In Veracruz of Mexica, Marantaceae, Heliconiaceae, and Araliaceae were the three most dominant families whose leaves were used to wrap tamales , and only one common species was found, namely, Zea mays whose leaves could be used as ZLs by Chinese people [4]. The species of plant leaves as food wrappers for sarma in Turkey and the Balkans are all different from ZLs we investigated mostly because the sarma leaves could be eaten while the ZLs were only used for wrapping purposes [5, 13].…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Even though zongzi has a distinct cultural significance for Chinese people, zongzi -like food is prevalent and carries cultural significance in many other countries and regions, such as Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Latin America. In Japan, the zongzi -like food called Chimaki is made of rice flour and is also essential to the Dragon Boat Festival, while in Mexico, tamales is made of maize-based dough to celebrate Day of the Dead [3, 4]. In Southeast and East Europe, sarma or dolma , usually made of rice, bulgur, or minced meat and wrapped in plant leaves, are very common.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the importance of their packaging properties, ZLs can contribute to the flavor and storage time of zongzi . It was reported by Maite et al [4] that the flavor of tamales , the zongzi -like food from Mexico, was affected by the plant leaves used to wrap them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ethnobotanical surveys focusing on the plant leaves used as wrapping materials for food have been reported in some countries and regions [4, 5, 13]. For example, 21 species of plant leaves have been reported to wrap tamales in the Mexican state of Veracruz [4], and the leaves from 87 botanical taxa were used to wrap sarma in Turkey and the Balkans [5]. In addition, plant leaves used to wrap food were discovered from time to time when researchers conducted ethnobotanical investigations [14–18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plant leaves for wrapping zongzi in China: an ethnobotanical study

Lin

Luo

Long

et al. 2019

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundZongzi, a common Chinese rice-pudding and one of the most symbolic foods in traditional Chinese festivals, is integral to both Chinese traditional culture and daily meals. Traditionally, the leaves of different plant species have been used to wrap zongzi. The variety of zongzi leaves (ZLs) can contribute to the zongzi-based cultural diversity. Given the cultural and dietary significance of zongzi, the ethnobotanical surveys were carried out, aiming to investigate the diversity of plant species and associated traditional botanical knowledge of ZLs, which could attract particular attention for their further studies.MethodBoth literature studies and field surveys were conducted in the study. The field investigations were carried out from May 2006 to June 2018 throughout China. Ethnobotanical information about ZLs was obtained by direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and key informant interviews.ResultsIn total, ZLs from 57 plant species were identified and recorded, belonging to 38 genera and 18 families. Several folk legends have been formed to explain the origin of using plant leaves to pack zongzi. Over time, Chinese people have developed diverse traditional botanical knowledge surrounding ZLs, especially regarding the zongzi flavor, antiseptic functions, and medicinal values. Based on the literature review, some species of ZLs such as the leaves of Corchorus capsularis and Vernicia fordii may even pose a potential threat to human health. Presently, in some regions of China, the traditional ZLs, such as Cocos nucifera, Tilia tuan, and Zizania latifolia, are being substituted by commercialized ZLs such as Phragmites australis and Indocalamus tessellatus.ConclusionA variety of traditional ZLs have been discovered in China. Although diverse traditional knowledge exists in China surrounding the usage of ZLs, some species may have the potential of threatening human health. Therefore, further explorations are necessary to comprehensively evaluate traditional ZLs, the results of which could help to conserve the cultural diversity of zongzi, to guarantee food safety, and to encourage the uses of plant leaves in food, medicine, and environmental management, for our human health.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Plant leaves for wrapping zongzi in China: an ethnobotanical study

Lin

Luo

Long

et al. 2019

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Development and use of food packaging from plant leaves in developing countries

Hounsou

Dabadé

Götz

et al. 2022

J Consum Prot Food Saf

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Wild and cultivated comestible plant species in the Gulf of Mexico: phylogenetic patterns and convergence of type of use

Díaz-Toribio,

de-Nova,

Piedra-Malagón

et al. 2023

AoB PLANTS

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With a database of approximately 500 comestible plants of the Province of the Gulf of Mexico inMesoamerica, phylogenetic analyses are conducted to identify convergence and phylogenetic signal of type of use and significant clustering in the resulting phylogenetic trees. Analyses considered type of management (wild/managed vs cultivated), type of use (edible, condiment, for wrapping food) and organ utilized. Elevated phylogenetic diversity and signal is expected for wild comestible taxa, indicating that peoples are using lineages across the angiosperm tree for food, resulting in broadness in diet and use of their regional resources. Main results are: 1) condiment species were identified in groups with elevated phylogenetic signal; 2) hot nodes for lineages utilized for wrapping food were found in many monocot groups as well as in epiphytes of cloud forests with leathery leaves; 3) edible taxa were identified with the highest significant clustering restricted to certain branches in the phylogeny; 4) wild and cultivated edible plants belong to identical lineages with replacement of species, implying that same plant groups known for their comestible benefits are substituted by species distributed in the Province; 5) wild vs cultivated lineages for condiment are different. Most food species in the Province belong to four families: Fabaceae, Cactaceae, Solanaceae, and Asparagaceae. Analyses discovered underutilized wild species in identical clades to managed/cultivated taxa that can be studied further to identify cultivation practices. Results suggest that people are utilizing different lineages in the angiosperm tree available locally, for particular uses, like condiment or for wrapping food. Evidence can be used to study further undervalued edible species closely related to the most common food taxa as well as for bioprospection of their nutritional content.

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The Plants Leaves Used to Wrap Tamales in the Mexican State of Veracruz

Cited by 6 publications

References 7 publications

Plant leaves for wrapping zongzi in China: an ethnobotanical study

Plant leaves for wrapping zongzi in China: an ethnobotanical study

Development and use of food packaging from plant leaves in developing countries

Wild and cultivated comestible plant species in the Gulf of Mexico: phylogenetic patterns and convergence of type of use

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