A dimension within Traditional Crop Health
Exploring the rich variety of traditional foods and products gathered from the forest, supporting local economies.
149 voices speak to this
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AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

Drawing strength from ancient customs and the jungle's bounty, our community thrives by living independently and preserving traditional foodways for future generations.

By cherishing and utilizing the traditional foods and herbs found in our forests and lands, we can sustain ourselves and combat malnutrition while preserving our natural heritage.

In Sundargarh, women advocate for the preservation of ancestral foods, traditional culture, and economic empowerment through self-sufficiency and community support.

Remembering the wisdom of ancestors, we used to nourish ourselves with traditional staples like pakhaḷa, kañji, drumstick leaves, and small fish.
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
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
Mahua is a forest product. In the olden days, people used to boil and eat it. Even now, if boiled and eaten, it would be good, or if made into laddus and sold, it would sell.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, 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
Mahul is a forest product that people used to boil and eat in ancient times. It would still be good to boil and eat it, or it could also be sold by making it into packets or laddus.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
Yes, I remember we have been frying and eating mahua, the forest food.
— Priti majhi
I remember we have been frying and eating Mahula, the food of the forest.
— Priti majhi
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
In ancient times, people used to eat mahua, and it was very good. Now, if mahua is boiled and eaten again, it would be good again. How many boxes were there?
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, 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
Let the Mahua, Char, and Kendu (products) from the forest be processed for food.
— Priti majhi
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
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
Mahua has vitamins. People used to eat it boiled before, and it would be good to eat it boiled now.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
The edible items found in the forest are Kendu, Chaar, and Mahua, which
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Kasdol, Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
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 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
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. Mahua has many vitamins and is nutritious food. It would be good if it was given in schools.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, 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
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 can bring Mahula's char tendu from the forest and use it in food and also give it to children.
— Anupama Mahanand · Subdega, 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 can bring the native Kakada found in our forest, cook it, and eat it.
— SINESH PELMAL · SKIP NO LOCATION
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
From the forest, we bring mahua and mahua seeds.
— Kekti Tekam
If forest products, mahua mahua tea ladoo, are made during midday meals and given as MDM in schools.
— Priti majhi
To include forest-based foods like Mahua ladoo, Char ladoo, Phuljhi, etc., in PDS and midday meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Yes, it is food eaten in the forest, which we include as food. Oh oh.
— Rakesh kumar Kumar
Earlier, we used to eat gethi kanda, nekuwa kanda, sarai mahua lata, and all the mahua lata.
— Sunita Kumari · 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
It would be appropriate if forest products like Mahua ladoo are prepared and served as part of the Mid-Day Meal in schools.
— Priti majhi
Among forest products, Mahua is also a nutritious food. It would be good if the government utilizes this Mahua in various ways and provides it in school mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
People want to bring back the lost forest food products.
— Priti Majhi
Forest products such as Jharakunduru, Pitalu Konda, and various other types of edible forest produce are available. These also serve as food for animals and birds, and consuming them provides nourishment.
— Anirudha Marai
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
Mahua flowers and other foods obtained from the forest are very nutritious. Therefore, it is appropriate to include these foods in PDS or mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
If food made from mahua found in our forests and food from charla are included in the school's midday meal for children.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Including ladoos made from Mahua, a food found in our forests, in the school's mid-day meal will be nutritious for children.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Mahua is available in Amara. Previously, mahua cakes were cooked and eaten. It would be good to cook and eat them now too. Your body will remain healthy.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha