Commonly used Traditional Food Plants in Tehsil Moorang, District Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

The state of Himachal Pradesh is inhabited by different tribal communities of which Kinnaura is one of them. These tribal people depend upon the large number of plant species available in their vicinity as source of food, medicine, fodder, dye, oil etc. Traditional food plants are the plants which are accepted by rural communities since ages, preserved through their customs, habits and traditions. These traditional food items are also recognized as functional foods as they are rich with body healing chemicals, antioxidants, dietary fibers and probiotics. Native people are used to these food plants and they know how to prepare these for consumption in their day to day life. These plants not only provide substantial nutritional and dietary benefits to these tribal people who live in such remote rural areas and also prevent several chronic diseases caused by malnutrition. In the current scenario, where increasing population pressure is high and as a result pressure on a few selective major food crops are also increasing. Therefore, it become necessary for us to look for alternatives, and in this context, underutilized traditional food crops may assumes special significance as they are less damaging to the environment and also address cultural needs. But in recent times, the ancient traditional practices of utilization of traditional food plants is gradually declining due to modernization and industrialization hence there is urgent need to study such knowledge systems and find innovative ways of tapping their potential for the welfare of mankind.