Survey of wild food plants for human consumption in Bingol (Turkey)

Abstract

This study focused on the wild plants traditionally used for human consumption in Bingol and its aim is to present data about the folk botanical knowledge and to give about their development in relation to plant resources and traditionally food culture. The information about the use of wild edible plants was collected from 6 different open-air-markets and 13 villages in the city during two-year period (2012-2013), through unstructured interviews. In this study, a total of 61 wild food plant taxa belonging to 25 families were established and also plant parts used, ethnographic data related to vernacular names, traditional use were recorded. Family Rosaceae is represented by the highest number of taxa (9), followed by Lamiaceae (8), Astaraceae (7), Apiaceae (6), Fabaceae (4) and Polygonaceae (3). The study showed that the plants used are either eaten raw, cooked by boiling in water, frying in oil or baked to be served as dishes such as stew, salad as hot drink. During this ethnobotanical research, it was verified that wild edible plants play an important role in diet in Bingol. Furthermore, during our study Heracleum pastinacifolium C. Koch, Origanum acutidens (Hand-Mazz.). Letsw, Prunus kurdica Fenzl ex Fritsch, Quercus petraea subsp. pinnatiloba (K. Koch) Menitsky has been recorded as endemic wild food plant taxa from Bingol.