Wild food plants traditionally gathered in central Armenia: archaic ingredients or future sustainable foods?

Pieroni, Andréa; Hovsepyan, Roman; Manduzai, Ajmal Khan; Sõukand, Renata

doi:10.1007/s10668-020-00678-1

Cited by 45 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The importance of local products that are often derived from wild food for Armenian economy was already noticed by Pieroni and colleagues [17]. In their paper, they made a list of wild products that could become important trading items to local inhabitants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…from the genera Heracleum, Anthriscus, and Chaerophyllum, seems to be a characteristic feature of the whole Caucasus area (e.g. [6,14,17,74] and Anna Janicka-Galant, Łódź, pers. comm.).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include some plants from the Apiaceae family: Angelica tatianae, Ferulago setifolia and Heracleum chorodanum. Two species (Heracleum antasiaticum and Bilacunaria microcarpa), also from Armenia, have only recently been reported as food a few weeks ago [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We would go even further and say that the many interesting lacto-fermented Apiaceae made in Yerevan could even become internationally recognised as part of a healthy cuisine, on the aforementioned wave of popularity of lactofermented products in general [76]. Pieroni et al [17] and Slow Food [84] used the term foodscouting to describe the activity of looking for valuable local traditional food products. Market surveys play a large role in foodscouting as well.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It consists of detailed ethnobiological exploration (e.g. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]). In-depth local studies have revealed many interesting, and sometimes unique, plant uses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wild plants and fungi sold in the markets of Yerevan (Armenia)

Nanagulyan

Zakaryan

Kartashyan

et al. 2020

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background: The aim of the study was to record wild plants and fungi sold in the capital of Armenia. This is the first large market survey in the Caucasus region. The area of the Caucasus is characterised by a very high diversity of climates, flora and languages which results in very rich traditions of plant use. Methods: Interviews were conducted and photos and voucher specimens were taken during multiple visits made over 4 years. We studied 37 locations and 136 people were interviewed. Results: As many as 163 plant species, belonging to 44 families and 110 genera, were recorded on Yerevan markets. This included 148 wild food species, 136 medicinal species, 45 species sold for decoration, 15 species of wood and 9 species of insect repellents. Also 14 wild species of fungi were sold, including 12 food species. Conclusions: The list of plants sold in the markets of Yerevan is very extensive and diverse, and includes many species of wild fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants, some of them never listed in ethnobotanical directories before. A characteristic feature of this market is a large representation of lacto-fermented products. Some of the species sold in Yerevan have never been reported as human food either in wild edible plant word lists or in ethnobotanical publications, e.g. Angelica tatianae, Ferulago setifolia and Heracleum chorodanum. Fungi are also well represented.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wild plants and fungi sold in the markets of Yerevan (Armenia)

Nanagulyan

Zakaryan

Kartashyan

et al. 2020

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Multigenerational differences in harvesting and use of wild edible fruits and nuts in the South Caucasus

Faruk,

Nersesyan,

Papikyan

et al. 2023

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementEcosystem services are underpinned by biodiversity, which is rapidly eroding globally, threatening rural livelihoods and culture. Examining the uses of wild edible plants (WEPs) that are important to rural communities gives insight into the value of a biodiverse landscape to local communities. Here, the importance of considering age groups in future ethnobotanical and conservation studies is highlighted, as this can enhance our understanding on the dependence of use within a landscape, informing more inclusive conservation actions.Summary Wild edible plants (WEP) remain an important aspect of many rural communities across the world, yet the decline in the diversity and knowledge of WEP use is becoming a global concern. In the Biodiversity Hotspot of the Caucasus, there is few cross‐cultural and multigenerational comparisons of plant uses, limiting our knowledge of resource use and dependence within biodiverse landscapes. Here, we investigate the patterns of use for wild edible fruits and nuts in the South Caucasus, focusing on multigenerational differences in harvesting patterns, diversity and use through semi‐structured interviews in Armenia and Georgia. We calculated use values (UV) for each genera harvested and compared the diversity of genera used between age groups. Pearson chi‐square was used to explore the relationship between age‐groups and genera harvested. We found 53% of rural population (n = 220) actively harvest from wild populations, with older age groups harvesting the highest diversity of plants. Twenty‐four species from 16 genera are harvested, with Berberis vulgaris L. and Rosa canina L. shared between both communities. The association between age and diversity of harvested genera was significant (χ2[48, N = 506] = 114.75, p < .01), mainly driven by a strong positive association with Berberis spp. L., Crataegus spp. L. and Ribes spp. L. with the under 18s and Prunus spp. L. with under 35s. Young harvesters used WEP for income generation, while medicinal use increases across older age groups. Foraging activities within South Caucasus' communities remains active; however, the use of WEP is not uniform within and across different communities.

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