Ethnic food knowledge of highland pastoral communities in the Himalayas and prospects for its sustainability

The transhumance pastoralists inhabiting the world highest mountain ecosystems, the Himalayas, have a long and a rich history of making various traditional foods and beverages. The hardship with the profession and living in the harsh geo-climatic conditions discourage new generations to continue pastoral practices, which subsequently decline the rich traditional knowledge interwoven with the system. This alarming trend calls for an urgent need to document the rich traditional knowledge before it vanishes. Therefore, in this study, an attempt is made to explore and document the traditional knowledge of various transhumance pastoral groups in the Himalayan region of India and Bhutan, especially on preparation and use of various ethnic foods and beverages. Besides extensive literature survey, the field surveys were undertaken in different Himalayan states of India and Bhutan. The findings reveal that a large variety of recipes were made by the pastoral communities, of which 32 major recipes having major ingredients of barley, wheat, rice, pulses, vegetables, mutton and milk products were documented. Except Ban gujjars and Bakarwal, the pastoral groups were fond of traditional alcoholic beverages, which were the integral part of their dietary and cultural milieu. It is concluded that traditional foods of pastoral communities being highly nutritious and healthy, if promoted diligently, it will improve the health of the society and sustainability of food systems.

Automated summary

Transhumance pastoralists in the Himalayas have a long history of traditional food and beverage making, but the decline in pastoral practices among new generations is causing the loss of rich traditional knowledge. The study documented a variety of recipes made by pastoral communities, with a focus on 32 major recipes. Additionally, traditional alcoholic beverages were found to be integral to the dietary and cultural practices of these communities. Promoting traditional foods of pastoral communities, known for being highly nutritious and healthy, could improve societal health and food systems sustainability.