Conhecimento e uso de plantas alimentícias não convencionais por agricultores familiares

Abstract

Introduction: Unconventional Food Plants (PANC) are the edible parts that constitute the structure of the vegetable, among them bulbs, stems, fruits, which may constitute culinary preparations. As for knowledge on this topic is still little widespread, often commonly judged os bushes, these plants have their nutritional and food potential disregarded, easily accessible and distributed throughout the national territory these species can be used in food in various ways. The present work aimed to identify the popular knowledge about PANC in a rural community located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, called Serra Verde. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, obtaining data through a semi-structured questionnaire on forms of consumption, preparation mode and benefits of the PANC. Results: The 24 farmers interviewed cited 30 PANC, among the most pointed: plum of the bush, cardeiro, ubaia, camu-camu, cumati, coco-catolé, juá, jabuticaba and maçaranduba. Most of these plants were consumed in natura, 25 being one of the most prevalent reports in interviews that contribute to enrich human food. Conclusion: When it comes to food use, these plants are limited to in natura consumption, adding to this the knowledge about them is small in view of their diversity. Thus, it requires more studies that address its use in cooking and preparation modes, in order to aggregate the food with regional plants and easily accessible.