Traditional food plants in Paruro province, Peru, as a biodiversity resource with a material and immaterial value

Until now, the survival of Andean crops has been due to the existence of numerous local communities which, by preserving their traditions as well as cultivating and using these species, have managed to prevent them from being lost. For these reasons, our goal is the research on the plants used as food in Andean tradition of Paruro province in Peru. All information was gathered through consented semistructured interviews (ethnobotanical questionnaire) with people who still use traditional food plants. We recorded the use of 115 food species belonging to 55 families, mainly Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, Fabaceae. Several plants have been reported in literature because of nutritional or isolated components; for others no bibliographic data are available. Parts used are mainly leaves, in preparation of salads or for soups; fruits generally are used fresh. Tubers and bulbs have a great importance in the diet. A relatively high number of species are used as condiment and flavouring agents. Data recovered can be regarded as a biodiversity resource with a material and immaterial value.