Wild Sweetpea (Vigna frutescens) tubers are a staple source of starchy food for the Hadza people in Tanzania. The plant’s common name in the Hadza language is //ekwa. To collect them, groups of Hadza women regularly head out into the…

Asian honey bees and their combs are a special treat for the local population of backcountry areas at Pu Luong Nature Reserve in northern Vietnam. The harvested honey is seldom sold and is mainly used by the villagers. The grubs,…

Edible shipworms, in this case Bactronophorus thoracites, are also known as Naked clams, Priyang talay (เพรียงทะเล), and various other common names throughout the region where they occur. They bore into wood immersed in salt water and are a major hassle…

Pipi clams (Donax deltoides) are also known as Surf clams, Sandy Donax, and a wide range of other common names. In Thailand, they can be found on most beaches in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. They are…

Rock snails of the genus Cyclophorus are highly sought-after wild foods in rocky limestone mountain areas of Vietnam. These snails are not only regarded as food but also as medicine against various ailments. The local Vietnamese name is Ốc thuốc,…

Bibi worms (Sipunculus nudus Linnaeus, 1776) belong to the Peanut worm phylum. They can be dug up at the intertidal zone of flat, sandy beaches on temperate and tropical beaches. These worms are primarily used as top fishing bait. At…

Wild asparagus, a unique culinary delight, is prominent in Sicily’s springtime cuisine. The region boasts two distinct species: Asparagus albus, White asparagus, and Asparagus acutifolius, affectionately dubbed ‘Wild asparagus’ in English. Another edible part of these plants is its ‘crown’…

Ginger flowers are eaten in many Southeast-Asian cultures. In Indonesia, most ginger varieties are known from Siberut Island. The native population of this island has utilized the flowers of Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm.) since ancient times for…

Domestic pigs are a typical gift from a Mentawai family to a shaman for his support or services. In our case, Aman Aru attended a ceremony in a neighboring Uma (family home in the forests), which had to be cleaned…

Domestic chickens are omnipresent around every Uma (family home) in the forests of Siberut Island. During nighttime, they are kept in closed coops to protect them from predators like civet cats. While staying with Mentawais, I observed no nesting boxes…

Rattan leaf stalks have been, since immortal times, the tools with which Mentawai people have been grating coconuts. These long-lasting tools grate the coconuts into the required size of flakes. When worn out or broken, a new one will be…

Roasted sago starch is the staple food for Mentawai people living in the moist, tropical forests of Siberut Island, off the coast of Western Sumatra in Indonesia. On the other hand, sago, boiled to porridge, is eaten as a staple…

Mangrove apples are the fruits of Sonneratia sp. trees, one of the important genera of trees in the Mangrove forests of Southeast Asia. All species of Sonneratia will develop edible Mangrove apples. The various Sonneratia species differ slightly in shape,…

Boiling water in green bamboo stems (‘culms’ would be the botanically correct term) is not a significant skill, but it represents the basic cooking technique in Southeast Asian forests. One of the following articles will build on that and explain…

The Green-billed Malkoha is a common bird in Vietnam’s semi-deciduous tropical forests. An expedition led to the capture of one who was cooked for lunch. This and other species are often hunted by villagers supplementing their diet with this and…

Flying fox hunting remains a prevalent activity in Indonesia, particularly in Sumatra. Aceh, the northernmost province, is the epicenter of the trade in Flying fox meat. Locals believe that this meat possesses qualities to alleviate asthma, although this claim lacks…

Raphia sese (Arecaceae) Common names: Nsaku (Kongo = knife with a long blade), ba di magangu (Kongo). Description A palm which grows in dense clumps up to 10 m tall. Female flowers are produced at the base and male flowers…

Ghost crabs (genus Ocypode) comprise 22 different species, and they are commonly also called `Sand crabs.` The scientific name Ocypode has Greek origin and means swift-footed. Ghost crabs are semi-terrestrial crabs that dig deep burrows in intertidal zones of sand. They…

English: Giant taro; Scientific name: Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott; Synonyms: Alocasia indica (Lour.) Spach; Plant family: Araceae Description of Giant Taro plants A very large herb of the taro family. It has a stout erect trunk up to 4 m…

The Swiss pine (Pinus cembra) goes by different names in German-speaking countries, such as ‘Zirbe,’ ‘Arve,’ ‘Arolla pine,’ or ‘Austrian stone pine.’ For generations, people have used the nuts of this particular pine species as food during the winter months,…

There are two Sago palm species in Papua New Guinea. Metroxylon sagu Rottb. and the other one occurs in North Solomons Province and the Solomon Islands. Its scientific name is Metroxylon salomonense. The sago palm plant The sago palm grows…

Foreword Horseshoe crabs are a species not protected in Thailand and are experiencing a significant decline. Their primary habitats, particularly the mudflats around mangrove forests, where they live and reproduce, are diminishing, and there is a growing demand for edible…

Sourplums, which belong to the Olacacea family, comprise two species: the Blue Sourplum (Ximenia americana) and the Great Sourplum (Ximenia caffra). Blue Sourplum The Blue Sourplum is naturally distributed in semi-tropical and tropical countries worldwide, as shown on the map….

Vongole clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) are the main bivalve species collected from the flat beaches of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy. Introduced to aquaculture facilities in the lagoon of Venice in 1983, they are now considered an invasive species, having…

In Thailand, both sea and freshwater fish are dried to increase their shelf life for later human consumption. Before the advent of refrigeration, the primary method for preventing spoilage was to salt the fish and then leave it in the…

Bamboo is a popular ingredient in traditional Vietnamese cuisine, especially during the year-end meal on the 30th day of the last lunar month of the year. One of the most famous and delicious bamboo soups is the squid bamboo soup…

Weaver ants of the genus Oecophylla consist of two different species. One species is Oecophylla longinoda, which occurs in equatorial, tropical African regions. The other species is Oecophylla smaragdina, distributed in tropical Asia and Australia. Both of them are also…

Mopane worms (Instars of Gonimbrasia belina) are mainly found on Mopane trees (Colophosperma mopane) but also on Wild Syringa (Burkea africana), Zebrawood (Microberlinia Brazzavillensis) and others. However, Mopane trees are a highly dominant species in climates and areas suitable for…

Puff adders (Bitis arietans) are widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, except in dense rainforest areas and Madagascar. They have a tell-tale flat head with a straight line between the eyes, a thick body with chevron markings, and a stumpy tail,…

In Southern Africa, Harvester termite alates (Hodotermes spp.) and Mound-building termite alates (Macrotermes spp.) swarm within a specific area usually once a year. These alates are winged termites, which termite workers keep within certain chambers in the mound. They represent…

Before dormice can be skinned, processed, and cooked – they have to be caught. That is an art of its own and is described in an article under this Link here. Skinning and processing of dormice is done similarly to…

Worldwide, the dormouse family consists of three sub-families and 29 species and in Slovenia the ‘European edible dormouse’ (Glis glis) is native. There live three other dormouse species: garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus), forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula), and hazel dormouse (Muscardinus…

Many African trees extrude edible gums and resin. Notable Vachellia ssp. and Senegalia ssp. (old name: Acacias) are known for their edible gums. Khoi-sani people collect and eat whatever edible gums and resins they find on the go. In our…

With more than 70 bamboo species throughout the country, we can easily find bamboo thickets anywhere in Vietnam. Many could nurture one of the most popular and favored vegetarian foods for Vietnamese people, bamboo shoot harvesting. Two main types of…

Synonyms A. communis, A. incises; Common names Kikwa ki santu Petelo (Kongo), arbre à pain (Fr.), breadfruit Description A tree up to 35m tall produces a wide crown. All parts of the tree produce a white, bitter latex. Fruits are…

Synonym: D. cayenensis var. praehensilis; Common names: Kisadi, sadi, Bisadi (Kongo), Igname de brousse (Fr.), bush yams, forest yam Description A sturdy climbing plant, up to 15 m long, growing from a large tuber that often protrudes from the ground….

The Indochina Dragon Plum (Dracontomelon duperreanum) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae. In Vietnamese, it is called chi sấu). Dragon Plums are one of the most popular trees on the side of Hanoi streets. The fruits…

Children are the main caterpillar collectors, though most people while walking in the bush, keep a constant watch for them. Frequently people will bring back young caterpillars and place them on trees near their homes where they can keep an…

Image sequence of cassava’s long way from root to market and shows the processing of cassava in its various steps Source This article is an excerpt of Paul Latham’s and Augustin Konda ku Mbuta’s books ‘Useful plants of Kongo Central…

Pla Ra (Thai: ปลาร้า, pronounced [plāː ráː]), is fermented fish. Traditionally, Thais in the Central and Northeast provinces (Isan) eat fish and rice. In these relatively poor provinces, there is only one rice growing cycle every year. The planting season…

It is at least a 2000-year-old tradition in many provinces in China to cure and preserve meat in wintertime. Pigs were slaughtered after the ‘Light Snowfall’ date (around Nov 22nd/23rd). Then, the temperatures plummeted, and this meat had to be…

Marula season in Southern Africa typically occurs in February of each year. When Marulas (Sclerocarya birrea) get ripe, they turn from green to yellow and fall from the female Marula trees. On the ground, they ripen fully and will start…

Natal Mahogany (Trichilia emetica) trees have got a dense canopy of dark green, glossy leaves, and a round outer shape of the tree silhouette. They preferably grow in moist places and riparian forests along drainage lines. Natal Mahogany is easy…

Grill spit for small fish outdoor cooking on a spit Smaller fish up to about 20 cm long are typically put on a grill spit, which is just a split stick. Often, in Thailand, this will be Pla Kod (Thai:…

In Thailand, two types of freshwater snails are commonly consumed. The first group is comprised of the larger Apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata), while the other group is referred to as Freshwater snails (Sinotaia sp. & Filopaludina sp.). These genera can…

Edible jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) is called ‘Maeng krapun jarn’ (Gulf of Siam) or ‘Lodchong’ (Andaman Sea) in Thailand. Usually, there are about three months a year when jellyfish appear for food. During this jellyfish run, sea fishermen earn a sizeable…

Freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium lanchesteri), also called ‘Ricefield shrimps’ or ‘Goong foi’ in Thai, live in significant numbers in every permanent water body in Thailand. They are the primary food source for various fish and other predators, one of them being…

A mudflat full of razor clams ‘Don Hoi Lot’ is a mudflat in the Thai Province of Samut Songkhram with a size of about 15 km2 (about 9 square miles). ‘Don’ means ‘mudflat’ in English. ‘Hoi’ means ‘clam’, and ‘Hoi…

Nipa palms (Nypa fruticans) are a species of palms especially adapted to muddy environments of slow-moving tidal waters and mangrove forests. They occur in Asia-Pacific tropical climates. Nipa palm fruits are delicious to eat. Both the fruits and wooden parts…

In Thailand, four mudskipper species can be found. These are the Giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri), Blue-spotted mudskipper (Boleophthalmus boddarti), Gold-spotted mudskipper (Periophthalmus chrysospilos) and the Indian Dwarf mudskipper (Periophthalmus novemradiatus). The Giant- and Blue-spotted mudskippers live at the Andaman Sea-…

Swamp morning glory or Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) has various common names, like ‘Kangkong’ in Southeast Asia or ‘Kung Shin Tsai’ in China. It is a staple vegetable food throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It is deficient in calories (19 cal/100…

The fruit Durian (Durio zibethinus) is named after the Malay word ‘Duri’ for ‘Thorn’, referring to the thorny skin, and ‘zibethinus’ obviously refers to its smell. And the most sought-after variety in Malaysia is ‘Musang King’, where ‘Musang’ means ‘Palm…

In the former article, I described seeing a majestic sand monitor lizard close by on my drive from Menzies to Sandstone on a side road. Driving further on, I was surprised to see many more Goannas left and right on…

Purslane (Portulacaria Afra), or ‘spekboom’ in the Afrikaans language, is a succulent plant, endemic to South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. It has light-green soft leaves and red-colored stems. The leaves can be eaten raw, as pickles, chutney, or jam, or…