Resilience at the border: traditional botanical knowledge among Macedonians and Albanians living in Gollobordo, Eastern Albania

Pieroni, Andrea; Cianfaglione, Kevin; Nedelcheva, Anely; Hajdari, Avni; Mustafa, Behxhet; Quave, Cassandra L

doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-31

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

Table 1 Local food plant uses recorded in the study area

From: Resilience at the border: traditional botanical knowledge among Macedonians and Albanians living in Gollobordo, Eastern Albania

Taxon, family and voucher specimen code	Recorded Albanian folk name(s)	Recorded Macedonian folk name(s)	Status	Plant part(s) used	Traditional modalities of consumption and other recorded information	Alb	Mac
Allium cepa L.	Qepa	Кромид	C	AP; Bu	Raw and cooked (traditionally filling for pies made with corn flour - byrek^ALB/komat^MAC)	+	+
Amaryllidaceae	Qepa	Кромид	C	AP; Bu		+	+
Allium porrum L.	Pras	Праз	C	AP	Filling for pies	+
Amaryllidaceae	Pras	Праз	C	AP	Filling for pies	+
Allium sativum L.	Hurdhëra	Лук	C	Bu	Seasoning	+	+
Amaryllidaceae	Hurdhëra	Лук	C	Bu	Seasoning	+	+
Atriplex hortensis L.	Laboda	Лабода, Лобода	C	L	Filling for pies	+	+
Amaranthaceae	Laboda	Лабода, Лобода	C	L	Filling for pies	+	+
Beta vulgaris L.	Panxhari		C	R	Ingredient for making halva*	+
Amaranthaceae	Panxhari		C	R	Ingredient for making halva*	+
				L	Filling for pies		+
Brassica oleracea L.	Liakër, Liakra	Зелка, Расол	C	L	Pickled/lacto-fermented in water and salt); the liquid resulting from of the lacto-fermentation (rasol) was eaten with bread by the poorest community members*	+	+
Brassicaceae	Liakër, Liakra	Зелка, Расол	C	L		+	+
					Sarma	+
				L	Filling for pies		+
Capsicum annuum L.	Spec	Пиперка	C	Fr	Cooked	+
Solanaceae	Spec	Пиперка	C	Fr	Cooked	+
					Lacto-fermented in water and salt or in yogurt ricotta	+	+
Castanea sativa Mill.	Kostenja		W	Fr	Boiled or roasted	+	+
Fagaceae
CAME 26314
Cornus mas L.	Thana	Дрен	W	Fr	Fermented and distilled into raki	+	+
Cornaceae
CAME 26279
					Fermented into vinegar	+	+
					Syrup and compote (dried fruits boiled with water and sugar)	+	+
					Concentrated syrup/soft jam (pekmez)	+
					Jam		+
					(Fermented?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of a fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar; considered very healthy, is often consumed adding sugar)		+
Corylus avellana L.	Leithija	Лешник	W	Se	Raw and dried	+	+
Betulaceae
CAME 26242
Crataegus monogynaJacq.	Cut, Murriz	Глогиня, Глогиня дива (C. monogyna), Глогиня питома (C. sericea)	W	Fr	Snack		+
Rosaceae
CAME 26280
Crataegus sericea Dzekov ^§
Rosaceae
CAME 26278
					Fermented beverage		+
					Fermented into raki		+
Cucumis sativus L.	Kastravec	Kраставицa	C	Fr	Pickled/lacto-fermented (in water and salt)	+	+
Cucurbitaceae
CAME 26291
Cucurbita maxima Duch	Kungull	Tиква	C	Fr	Filling for pies; pickled/lacto-fermented (in water and salt)	+	+
Cucurbitaceae	Kungull	Tиква	C	Fr		+	+
Cydonia oblonga Mill.	Ftoi	Дуња	C	Fr	Jams (sometimes prepared dipping in a preliminary procedure the fruits pieces in water and lime, then boiling with sugar, so that the fruit pieces remained hard at the end)	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26290
					Compote (fruits boiled with water)		+
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar		+
Daucus carota L.			C	R	Lacto-fermented in water and salt	+
Apiaceae
CAME 26208
Fagus sylvatica L.	Ahu	Бук	W	K	Raw as snack (however, consumption of large amounts may generate headaches)*	+	+
Fagaceae
CAME 26249
				Wo	Fuel for smoking meat	+
Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ex Rozier	Lule shtrydhe		C	Fr	Raw	+
Rosaceae	Lule shtrydhe		C	Fr	Raw	+
Fragaria vesca L.	Derthea, Dirthene	Ягодка, Ягода	W	Fr	Raw	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26247
Helianthus tuberosus L.		Шалгун	SD	T	Raw or cooked		+
Asteraceae
CAME 26312
Hordeum vulgare L.	Elb	Jaчмен	C	Frfl	Bread (mixed with rye flour)*	+
Poaceae	Elb	Jaчмен	C	Frfl	Bread (mixed with rye flour)*	+
				Fr	Roasted and decocted, as a kind of coffee	+
Juglans regia L.	Arra	Орев	SD; C	K	Raw, or various cakes	+	+
Juglandaceae
CAME 26238
Juniperus communis L.	Dllinja	Смрека	W	Fr	Fermented and distilled into raki	+	+
Cupressaceae
CAME 26253
					Seasoning ingredient for lacto-fermented vegetables		+
Lactuca sativa L.	Sallata	Лоштика	C	L	Raw of filling for pies		+
Asteraceae	Sallata	Лоштика	C	L	Raw of filling for pies		+
Malus domestica Borkh.	Molla (Molla e kuqe, Sterkinka)	Јаболка (италианска, кисели, Ренета, Штерка)	C	Fr	Raw and dried (hoshaf)	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26236
					Sliced and dried; consumed boiled		+
				Fr	Fermented and distilled in raki	+
Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.	Molla e egër	Дива Јаболка	W	Fr	Dried (hoshaf)		+
Rosaceae
CAME 26288
					Fermented into vinegar	+	+
Medicago sativa L.	Jonxha		C	L	Cooked, as an emergency (famine) food*	+
Fabaceae
CAME 26292
Morus alba L.	Mani	Mурвинка	C	Fr	Jams and compote	+
Moraceae
CAME 2631
					Fermented and distilled into raki	+
Phaseolus vulgaris L.	Fasulja, Grosh	Грав	C	Fr; Se	Cooked	+	+
Fabaceae	Fasulja, Grosh	Грав	C	Fr; Se	Cooked	+	+
				L	Filling for pies		+
					Sarma		+
				UF	Cooked, filling for pies		+
Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.	Kumbullë Elbasani, Kumbullë kokormadhe	Слива Елбасанска	SD	Fr	Fermented and distilled in raki	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26266
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours	+
					Jam		+
Prunus avium (L.) L.	Qershija	Цреша (питома)	C	Fr	Raw	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26240
Prunus cerasus L.
CAME 26298
Rosaceae
					Jams	+	+
					Compote (fruits boiled with water and sugar)		+
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar)		+
					Dye for hard boiled eggs to which are consumed on St. George’s Day, as a good omen		+
Prunus cerasus var. marasca (Host) Vis.	Qershija e egër	Дива цреша	W; C	Fr	Raw	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26299
Prunus cocomilia Ten.		Дива слива	W	Fr	Fermented and distilled into raki		+
Rosaceae
CAME 26277
Prunus domestica L.	Kumbulla	Слива (блага, магарица, жолта, синица)	C	Fr	Raw and dried	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26239
					Fermented and distilled into raki	+	+
					Jam	+	+
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar)		+
Prunus spinosa L.	Kolumbria, Kurmulia	Дива слива	W	Fr	Gathered after the frost and consumed raw as snack, or fermented and distilled into raki, or transformed into a compote	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26260
Pyrus communis L.	Dardha	Kруша	C	Fr	Raw and dried	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26306
					Compote (fruits boiled with water and sugar)		+
					Jam	+
					Fermented and distilled into raki	+
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar)		+
Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd.	Dhardhë e egër, Gorrica	Дива круша	W	Fr	Gathered after the frost, ripened on straw, and consumed dried or in compote	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26244
Pyrus amygdaliformis Vill.
Rosaceae
CAME 26316
					Jam		+
Ribes multiflorum Kit. ex Roem. et Schult.		Диво грозje	W	Fr	Snack		+
Grossulariaceae
CAME 26263
Rubus idaeus L.		Малина	W; C	Fr	Snack		+
Rosaceae
CAM 26321
					Syrup and compote (fruits boiled with water)		+
Rubus hirtus Waldst. et Kit.	Fermoza, Manaferra	Капина	W	Fr	Raw and jams	+	+
Rosaceae
CAME 26258
Rubus ulmifolius Schott
Rosaceae
CAME 26310
Rubus caesius L.
Rosaceae
CAME 26245
					Syrup and compote (fruits boiled with water)		+
					Fermented and distilled in raki	+
Rumex acetosa L.	Ufull, Uthull	Киселец	W	L	Boiled, then in filling for pies (byrek^ALB/komat^MAC) or as vegetables cooked with rice and dairy products (buranje^ALB/zelje^MAC); traditionally dried and then used during the whole winter		+
Polygonaceae
CAME 26243
Rumex conglomeratus
Murray
CAME 26286
Polygonaceae
					Infusion: to be used for preparing yogurt (if starter culture is missing)		+
				L; St	Snack	+	+
Rumex patientia L.	Lepjeta	Щавел	W	L	Boiled, then used filling for pies or as vegetables cooked with dairy products; traditionally dried and then used during the winter	+	+
Polygonaceae
CAME 26285
Secale cereale L.	Thekna	Рж	C	Frfl	Mixed with corn flour: bread, esp. in the past*	+	+
Poaceae	Thekna	Рж	C	Frfl	Mixed with corn flour: bread, esp. in the past*	+	+
				Fr	Roasted and decocted, as a kind of coffee	+
Solanum lycopersicum L.	Domate, Patlixhan kuqe	Црвени патлиџани	C	UF	Lacto-fermented in water and salt	+	+
Solanaceae		Црвени патлиџани	C	UF	Lacto-fermented in water and salt	+	+
				Fr	Raw and cooked	+	+
				L	Cooked (emergency/famine food)*	+
Solanum melongena L.	Patlixhan i zezë	Црни патлиџани	C	Fr	Cooked	+
Solanaceae	Patlixhan i zezë	Црни патлиџани	C	Fr	Cooked	+
Solanum tuberosum L.	Patate	Компири	C	T	Cooked	+	+
Solanaceae	Patate	Компири	C	T	Cooked	+	+
				YL	Filling for pies (only in the past among Albanians). The bitter taste is particularly appreciated by the Macedonian communities; young potatoe leaves are the most common filling for the traditional pie (komat*) in June, after the young nettle’s season end	+	+
					Sarma		+
Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F.H. Wigg.	Qumështore	Млечак, Млекаица, Жело	W	L	Salads		+
Asteraceae
CAME 26289
Urtica dioica L.	Hjeth, Hisel, Hithra, Hith	Коприва	W	YL	Boiled, then used in filling for pies or cooked with rice and dairy products	+	+
Urticaceae
CAME 26262
Vaccinium myrtillus L.	Borovnica, Rrush i egër	Диво грозje, Цршине	W	Fr	Snack	+	+
Ericaceae			W	Fr	Snack	+	+
					Fermented into a fruit soda-like beverage		+
					Compote		+
Vitis labrusca L.	Rrush (variety Çelek)	Грозje (Шилек)	C	Fr	Fermented into wine or vinegar	+	+
Vitaceae
CAME 26265
					Concentrated juice (pekmez)		+
					Fermented (?) beverage obtained boiling the fruits in water for a few hours (the resulting beverage is kind of fruit soda, which is kept in the fridge or in the cellar		+
				L	Sarma	+	+
Zea mays L.	Misër	Пченка	C	Frfl	Bread, pies	+	+
Poaceae	Misër	Пченка	C	Frfl	Bread, pies	+	+
				YL	Filling for pies		+
Diverse tree species			W; C	WA	Added to flour, water, and eggs for producing home-made noodles (jufka)	+
					As a disinfectant, rubbed onto the sheep’s stomach before it is cooked and eaten		+
					Added to water when boiling corn		+

^§: first record of the species in Albania.
In bold: folk taxa quoted by more than 40% of the informants.
C: cultivated; SD: semi-domesticated; W: wild.
*: past use.
+: recorded use.
Plant part(s) used: AP aerial parts; Bu bulbs; Fr fruits; Frfl flour from fruits; K kernels; L leaves; R roots; Se seeds; St stems; T tubers; UF unripe fruits; Wo wood; WA ashes from wood; YL young leaves.

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ISSN: 1746-4269

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