The search for spontaneous edible plants in nature (foraging) has always accompanied man’s life, with different forms and importance depending on the places and times. Nowadays, foraging is increasingly popular throughout Europe as a provisioning and recreational practice, and wild edible plants (WEPs) are acquiring growing commercial interest. The rediscovery of such plants for food purposes has increased in response to the escalating uniformity in food consumption, the growing consumers’ attention toward a more balanced and healthy diet, especially in terms of bioactive compounds, and the interest in local food traditions, which are connected to the concept of terroir and intangible cultural heritage. In this framework, the Italian Alps are an important repository of knowledge on the use of WEPs particularly in less explored peripheral valleys where the impact of mass tourism is limited. The present study involved an in-depth study of local food traditions and WEPs in a NW Italy mountain area. Ethnobotanical and phytoalimurgical documents were analyzed, complemented by the administration of questionnaires to the local population. The aim of the work was to promote agrobiodiversity, crucial for sustainable agricultural systems, contribute to local sustainable development by leveraging through culinary traditions and identify the most promising WEPs for horticultural use.
Interpreting traditional knowledge on wild edible plants of the northwestern Italian Alps to innovate horticulture
Stelluti, S.First
;Falla, N. M.;Ravetto Enri, S.;Lonati, M.;Lombardi, G.;Scariot, V.Last
2025-01-01
Abstract
The search for spontaneous edible plants in nature (foraging) has always accompanied man’s life, with different forms and importance depending on the places and times. Nowadays, foraging is increasingly popular throughout Europe as a provisioning and recreational practice, and wild edible plants (WEPs) are acquiring growing commercial interest. The rediscovery of such plants for food purposes has increased in response to the escalating uniformity in food consumption, the growing consumers’ attention toward a more balanced and healthy diet, especially in terms of bioactive compounds, and the interest in local food traditions, which are connected to the concept of terroir and intangible cultural heritage. In this framework, the Italian Alps are an important repository of knowledge on the use of WEPs particularly in less explored peripheral valleys where the impact of mass tourism is limited. The present study involved an in-depth study of local food traditions and WEPs in a NW Italy mountain area. Ethnobotanical and phytoalimurgical documents were analyzed, complemented by the administration of questionnaires to the local population. The aim of the work was to promote agrobiodiversity, crucial for sustainable agricultural systems, contribute to local sustainable development by leveraging through culinary traditions and identify the most promising WEPs for horticultural use.
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