Abstract
Allium siculum Ucria is a perennial bulbous plant that occurs in Bulgaria as A. siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K. Richt. The plant is locally known as “samardala”. Its herbage is used traditionally by local communities in Bulgaria as edible green and for preparation of salty spice mixtures. The study was focused on the documentation of traditional knowledge about samardala, covering local collection and cultivation practices, processing methods and consumption preferences. The respondents (aged 30–86 years, 50% over 65) were local producers and small-scale salesmen of the herbage and samardala-containing spices. To assess the health features of samardala spices the total phenol and flavonoid content was measured in home-consumed or marketed flavoured salts. Overall appreciation of the plant and related food products was found to be very high; presenting a considerable engagement of the locals in plant cultivation and gathering, laborious processing and consumption. Traditional ecological knowledge about the biology, phenology and ecology of the samardala plant and methods for its processing is still preserved by elderly people who rely mostly on their own cultivated plants. Although the introduction of modern appliances has altered the method of production, its main stages and the recipes are preserved. Modernization of the processing method has not affected the quality of the products and faster processing could be a contributing factor for the higher content of biologically active substances. Phenolic content was about twice as low as the flavonoid content, following the same pattern for all tested flavoured salts. Measures for better management of natural populations and promotion of cultivation practices of A. siculum subsp. dioscoridis would ensure the sustainable quality of traditional products as well as conservation of the natural plant resources.
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Acknowledgements
This study is funded by Ministry of Education and Science under Grant No. DFNI K02/16 “Transformations of Local Agricultural Practices under Conditions of Europeanization and Globalization”. Work of T. Ivanova is supported by the Program for career development of young scientists, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 69/2016). Authors are grateful to all respondents and their families for sharing their knowledge for this study and dedicate this paper to the loving memory of two of our most resourceful contributors Rada Mihaylova and Todor Chaparov.
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Ivanova, T., Chervenkov, M., Stoeva, T. et al. Samardala: specificities and changes in the ethnobotanical knowledge about Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K. Richt. in Bulgaria. Genet Resour Crop Evol 65, 1349–1357 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0618-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0618-5