Famine Foods of Brazil’s Seasonal Dry Forests: Ethnobotanical and Nutritional Aspects

Abstract

Famine Foods of Brazil’s Seasonal Dry Forests: Ethnobotanical and Nutritional Aspects. Famine foods are used by people in times of food scarcity. Although the northeast of Brazil regularly faces periods of drought that cause a shortage of traditional foods, the use of famine foods is insufficiently recorded. The purpose of this study was to record the knowledge of famine food in two rural Caatinga communities, Carao and Cachoeira, in the states of Pernambuco and Paraiba, respectively, and to determine the chemical composition of the major famine foods utilized. The ethnobotanical aspect was divided into two stages: free lists and semistructured interviews. Based on the interviews, the main famine foods known by communities were selected for nutritional analysis. The study revealed that certain foods are used by communities only in times of shortages. Carao showed a higher species richness than Cachoeira, but the food knowledge was more widespread among the interviewees in Cachoeira. In Carao, the main species mentioned were Dioclea grandiflora and Manihot dichotoma, whereas in Cachoeira, Encholirium spectabile and Pilosocereus gounellei were the major species indicated. The species examined had a high carbohydrate content, especially D. grandiflora, Manihot glaziovii, and M. dichotoma, and could be used for complementary feeding of the population if adverse effects could be minimized. Mandevilla tenuiflora is indicated for future studies of potential agro-industrial applications and the beneficial aspects of its root, which could represent an alternative source of income for the population.