Abstract Detail

Society for Economic Botany/BSA Economic Botany Section

Imura, Hiroe [1].

Utilization of Useful Plants, Focusing on Foods in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China .

The result of this research concerns the utilization of the food plants among a few of the villages of the Yi ethnicity in Ganluo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China. In Gan luo xian, at the center of the town where the train station is located, people of the Yi ethnicity utilize potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), soybeans (Glycine max(L.)Merrill), Maize (Zea mays L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench) as their main food plants which they carefully cultivate, prepare and process by traditional methods. These plants are very important to the Yi ethnic group, as they are the main source of sustenance. The Yi ethnic group prepares their traditional primary foods through a very basic method called "Fu". The ingredients used in this process are millets and maize. By the "Fu" method, ingredients are first dried, pulverized, kneaded with water, rounded evenly, and finally boiled. After time passes and foods become cold, they will be warmed up in the ash of a stone hearth on the floor called "Geke" before served. Also, sorghum is kept as an ingredient of the traditional liquor for the Yi. The Yi call this liquor "Gangan-jiu" and serve it during social gatherings such as festivals or having guests visit. In addition, sorghum is also used as a material to make brooms called "Nohe". Despite the ongoing changes in society, the cultivation and utilization of the traditional plants has been carefully followed by the Yi. Therefore I conclude that each of these traditional names in the Yi's indigenous language have passed on their ancestor's traditional knowledge to subsequent generations and have shown their own environmental consideration. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Useful plants, Millets, Yi ethnicity(China)

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1 - Turukawa women's junior college, Miwa-cho,1135, Machida-shi, Tokyo, 1950054, JAPAN

Keywords:
ethnobotany
Useful Plants
Millets
Yi ethnicity(China).

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:45 PM
Number: PEN003
Abstract ID:116