Forest Foods & Heritage

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

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 the past, people used to boil and eat mahua from the village, which contained vitamins. Even now, if mahua is boiled and eaten, it will still be beneficial.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha

We have found Mahua. In ancient times, people used to boil and eat Lukra Mahua, and they used to get vitamins. In this era, if Mahua is eaten, the body remains healthy.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha

In ancient times, people used to boil and eat Mahua, but it is not seen much nowadays. If people still boil and eat it, their bodies will remain healthy.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha

We used to boil mahua and eat its cooked flowers, and our health remained good. Even now, if we could prepare and eat it, we would be healthy.

— Gitanjali Bhoi

When we used to prepare and eat food with Mahula, we stayed healthy. We should still eat it now.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

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

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

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 were eating Mahul, greens, and temple-prepared food, and our health was good. Now, eating this will be good.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

In ancient times, people used to boil and eat Mahua. Mahua has many vitamins and is nutritious food. It would be good if it was given in schools.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha

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 our area, in very old times, there were Sama, Kodo, Meijri (types of millets) for eating. Diseases were not caused by this. Today, whatever is being eaten as hybrid, all this is on the verge of causing diseases.

— ANIL KUMAR · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Mahua was available in our area. We used to say that eating boiled mahua keeps the body healthy. Even now, if consumed after boiling, the body remains good.

— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha

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

In our region, 'Gati Kandha' is available/common. People of the past used to eat all such things, and because of that, their bodies remained healthy. Nowadays, people are consuming foods that contain fertilizers (or are chemically treated), which is causing many types of diseases to arise.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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 indigenous people used to eat roots and tubers from the forests and sustained ourselves with them. These also served as medicine, keeping our bodies healthy. Even today, we should use roots and tubers.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Here, our ancestors used to cultivate sava, medon, mijhari, and kodo, whose rice and bread were eaten. Today, they are slowly disappearing. Therefore, we should preserve them so that they remain a part of our lives forever. These are very nutritious and powerful food items.

— Ram Kumari

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

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

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

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

— Priti majhi

Our ancestors used to consume grains like Kuri, Kudra, Humli, and other similar produce. Those grains are now gone. If the government conducts a survey/preservation effort for them, it would be very beneficial for our people in the future, meaning there would be no illnesses or similar problems.

— Mohan AHARI · Udaipur, Rajasthan

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

— Ram Maravi · Dindori, Madhya Pradesh

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

— Priti majhi

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

We used to eat bread made from hand-ground flour earlier, and it tasted very delicious. We used to grind it with a hand mill (jata) and pound it with a traditional pounder (dheki). The rice from it tasted very good, and the bread from the hand mill also tasted very good. However, today is the age of machines. We should use the hand mill and traditional pounder even today.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

I want to bring back our old food, which is Mahula and Kakua. That will benefit us greatly.

— Laxmi Bagh · Sundargarh, Odisha

Now, not much food is available in the forest, but our community's traditional grains like Kodo Kutki khichdi, dalia, and Tur, Chana, and Masoor dals should be included in the PDS, and our children should also receive these in their midday meals.

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

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

In our village, the hukli bhaji and phinda (local vegetables) that are gathered, we should use whatever God has provided us to eat from them for nutrition to combat malnutrition.

— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh