Local knowledge of edible flowers used in Mizoram

Abstract

The edible flowers consumed by indigenous people of Mizoram were assessed from Aizawl and Champhai districts of Mizoram during 2015-2016. Altogether, 59 species of edible flowers under 50 genera and 29 families are recorded. Dominant families include Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Leguminosae with 9% followed by Brassicaceae and Zingiberaceae scoring 7% each. Based on habit and occurrence, plants are categorized into wild (30), cultivated (21) and semi-cultivated (8). Among these plants, 30 species are marketable and 29 species are non-marketable. The study envisaged to highlight the importance of edible flowers in local cuisines of Mizo people and its potential as an additional source of food. It also attempted to document a first-hand report on the traditional knowledge on plant usage for consumption by the people of Mizoram.