Forest Food & Wild Edibles

Before, we used to eat saag roti, kurthi dal, urad dal, and mahua saag. Sometimes we would find amla and bael from the forest, and that's how we used to sustain our lives.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We used to eat greens from the forest, including Madhuranga greens, Nautia greens, Marisa greens, and all those other types of greens.

— Sanjukta Arukh · Tamando, Khordha, Odisha

Earlier, we used to eat gethi kanda, nekuwa kanda, sarai mahua lata, and all the mahua lata.

— Sunita Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We used to gather forest products like mahua, cook them, make cakes, and eat them in the forest. Even now, we will learn from our ancestors.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha

We are the people of earlier times who used to eat mahua from the forest, eat chakad shak, eat millet bread, eat corn bread. Now people eat good food, and because they eat good food, they catch so many diseases.

— Sunita Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

I remember we have been frying and eating Mahula, the food of the forest.

— Priti majhi

Yes, I remember we have been frying and eating mahua, the forest food.

— Priti majhi

Ans - In ancient times, people used to bring tubers, leafy vegetables, fruits, and roots from the forest and eat them. They also ate boiled leafy vegetables. Village - Kutiguda Name - Devendra Madkami

— Champa Gatan · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha

In the past, we used to eat mahua, and also made four laddus by frying mahua. We would also cook rice with gulgi and eat it. Now, if Anganwadi...

— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha

In our ST community, everything has changed for the people of this district. Before, we used to bring tamarind, mahua, and all kinds of forest products to eat and drink.

— Puspanjali Nag

Our people still want to eat the old food and forest products that were cooked, whether by forest dwellers or Mughals.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha

We get our nutritious diet from the forest, such as Mahua fruit Doli oil in the form of fat, Kodo, Bhaddi, Kulthia, Mahua flowers, Jamun, Mahua kheer, Bhaji, etc.

— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

We used to eat sitha saga since ancient times. Even now we wish to eat sitha saga, and we will. The forest is being destroyed now.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

We used to eat Mahua before, all kinds of Mahua, Rama Mahua. Because we ate all that, our body used to stay well. If you eat that, you too will stay well again.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

We, the people of the village, eat food like leafy vegetables, pulses, rice, etc.

— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh

We are from the tribal community, and our main food items are rice, peja (gruel/porridge), bhaji (greens/vegetables), kodo (millet), kutki (millet).

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Our traditional food was powdered sag, jhadada sag, and ragi. We used to make sag from rice powder and eat it. Forest products like mushroom also need to be eaten in the same way. Health will be good.

— jitendra khila · kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Odisha

Forest-derived food includes fresh bamboo shoots, bamboo sago, and Kendu fruit, among others. We obtain our food from the forest.

— S Guruteli · Upperpur, Malkangiri, Odisha

In the olden days, our parents and we used to gather and eat a lot of Barada Saga (a type of leafy green) from the forest. But now, due to deforestation, we no longer find Barada Saga. We hope to eat Barada Saga again.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

People will now bring and eat mahua char kendu found in the forests that they had lost in the past, preparing it as food.

— Priti Majhi

Earlier, we used to eat mahua from the sarai in the jungle and sustain our lives. No fertilizer was used at all. Our bodies also remained healthy. Everyone used to be strong and robust, and lived for a long time.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In ancient times, in previous eras, people collected nutritious foods like ragi, millet, etc., from the forest, ate them to stay healthy and strong, and lived for a long time. If farmers or tribal community people cultivate those essential crops of those ancient times again, it will guide them towards the development of their life's values in the future.

— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha

Our ancestors used to cultivate mung bean, urad, horse gram, ragi, and mustard. At that time, it used to rain, and there were forests.

— Anirudha Marai

In our area, people used to build palaces, then they would cultivate Kudamodia (a type of rice or crop) and eat it, and we would also eat it, and all of us villagers too.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

In the past, we used to eat various things from the hills, such as Kangu Jona Ganthia, and lived well because of them. Things that grew without fertilizer used to ripen quickly. Now, nothing is ripening from the hills, and they are not cultivating them anymore.

— Prakash ch Pradhani · Karubai, Rayagada, Odisha

People will now bring mahul char kendu found in the forests that they had lost in the past, prepare it as food, and eat it.

— Priti Majhi

We belong to the tribal community whose main food is rice, pez (porridge), bhaji (greens), kodo (millet), kutki (millet).

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

In ancient times, our Aamli, Kuri, Vati, and Mal, the wood visible in this forest used to be cut, and then crops were sown, and that was...

— Mohan AHARI · Dabaycha, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Our traditional food includes Koradi mushrooms, Silari greens, then Kakudi greens, and our Silari greens and mushroom greens.

— gobardhan pangi · Upperpur, Malkangiri, Odisha

Yes, earlier, we used to eat various kinds of wild fruits and food from the forests. But now, nothing like that remains. The government some.

— Rakesh kumar Kumar

Let me tell you. We are forest dwellers; we have eaten wild fruits. Our gods and goddesses, our worship, and all our traditions are different. When it comes to food and drink, we can even cook meat on a traditional stove and serve it. What else is cooked like that?

— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha

We all fill our stomachs by eating Mahua saag roti, which is our favorite food. Mahua is obtained from trees in the forests, and we also eat roti with bathua saag, which is our favorite food item and is very nutritious.

— Ram Kumari

We get various greens and various fruits from the forest.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

We used to live in our nature with the forest, happily bringing forest produce. We would all eat and live together. You were climbing.

— sudhir gamanga · Gadiakhala, Ketalugurha, Rayagada

My name is Rashmita Pradhan. Just as our ancestors remained healthy by eating fruits and roots found in the forest, prepared without chemicals, we also wish to eat the same food now. We are from tribal-dominated areas. Our forest is our lifeline. Therefore, our ancient traditions should be restored, and our forest should not be destroyed. Thank you. Raika Kandhamal.

— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha

Our fathers and grandfathers were healthy and strong by eating plenty of nutritious food from the forest, such as Mahua, Tol, Bhadbhadiya Saag, Mamer Saag, Leper Saag, and Karadi.

— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, Odisha

From the forest, we also get many things as vegetables, such as

— Kekti Tekam

We Adivasi communities are communities that depend on nature, collect roots and tubers from the forests, and use them as food, which is very nutritious and also serves as medicine.

— Ram Kumari

Our food and language are known to the Khadia community. When it comes to home food, we used to gather the material from Ghusra wood. And

— Laxmi Bagh · Subdega, Sundargarh, Odisha

In ancient times, various types of forest products were available. And many rare fruits, that was very difficult, but now we also try.

— Padmalochan Majhi