A dimension within Forest Food Security
This theme highlights the importance of traditional and indigenous foods sourced from forests for nutrition and health.
150 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.
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 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
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
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
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 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 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 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
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 fathers and grandfathers were healthy and strong by consuming plenty of nutritious food from the forest, such as Mahua, Tola, Bhadabhadia greens, Mamer greens, Leper greens, and bamboo shoots.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, 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
I remember we have been frying and eating Mahula, the food of the forest.
— Priti majhi
Earlier, we used to eat gethi kanda, nekuwa kanda, sarai mahua lata, and all the mahua lata.
— Sunita Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We tribals are completely different from other castes; our ancestors used to live in forests and sustained themselves by eating fruits, flowers, etc., from the forest.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Yes, I remember we have been frying and eating mahua, the forest food.
— Priti majhi
Our tribe lives in the forest, far from villages and cities, and for food, they eat mahua, dori, koyna, this street, etcetera, kola.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar 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
We tribals cut down forests to build our homes and live in the forest itself. From the forest, we get roots, flowers, and delicious fruits, and we sustain our lives from them, and we also do farming.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We get various types of fruits and roots from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, 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 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
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 community lives by building homes in the forests, hunting wild animals, and sustaining themselves by eating tamarind, mango, guava, and other produce found in the forest. Thus, they belong to a different way of life.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In earlier times, we used to get medicine from the forest.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
We get various greens and various fruits from the forest.
— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, 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
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 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
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
From the forest, we bring mahua and mahua seeds.
— Kekti Tekam
Currently, we are seeing that people are gradually obtaining the fruits, medicinal plants, greens, and nutritious food that were available in the forest.
— Ramadas Badanayak · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
I am Juno Chhatria. We are tribal people. We used to live by cultivating the forest and land. We used to eat fruits and roots from the forest, and we used to eat food without fertilizers, and we were not victims of any disease. Currently, we are eating food with fertilizers and are facing various diseases. That's why we request the government to return our previous world to us. Raykia Kandhamal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, 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
Obtaining food by hunting wild animals in the forest, eating fruits and flowers, and growing grains.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
From the forest, we also get many things as vegetables, such as
— Kekti Tekam
The edible items found in the forest are Kendu, Chaar, and Mahua, which
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Kasdol, Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
The Makadia tribe's life and livelihood depend on the forest. They live by gathering and selling fruits, flowers, roots, medicinal herbs, and mushrooms from the forest as food. They respect whatever their elders say. When food in one forest runs out, they move to another forest.
— Anirudha Marai
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
