Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 15 (3), July 2016, pp. 509-513

Dietary use of Algae among tribal of North-east India: Special reference to the

Monpa tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Sudipta Kumar Das*

Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah –711103, West Bengal, India E- mail: sudiptaalgae@gmail.com

Received 10 September 2015, revised 12 October 2015

Dietary use of Algae is known since ancient times, but is mostly confined to marine forms. In India, several marine or

brackish water macro-algae are consumed directly as food in South east coastal localities. The present study not only documents the dietary use of a freshwater Alga Ulva intestinalis L. by the Monpa tribe of Arunachal Pradesh but also summarizes the same by various other tribes in North east India.

Keywords: Algae, Dietary use, North-east India, Monpa tribe, Arunachal Pradesh

IPC Int. Cl.8: A01H 13/00, A23L 1/29, A47G 19/26, A47J 39/02

Algae are used as a nutritionally functional food

source for human being since ancient times.

In coastal regions of the Far East the algal consumption for dietary use was recorded since

6000 BC. Macro algae are consumed directly in

different food and beverages whereas microalgae are sources of nutrient supplements. These are rich

source of protein, fibre, vitamins, bioactive

compounds1 and several essential polyunsaturated

fatty acids (PUFAs) which cannot be synthesized in human body

2. Marine macro algae or Seaweeds are

principal dietary components in most of the coastal

Asian countries as well as in Europe, South America, North America and Australia. About 145 species of

the Seaweeds (60 % of total Seaweed biota) are

being used for the food3. Most of them are

commercially cultivated. But, the freshwater

ecosystems are mostly exploited for isolation of

microalgae for industrial production of nutrient

supplements. Record of direct use of freshwater macro algae as food is scanty. North east India

includes eight states, i.e., Assam, Arunachal

Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. Geographically it is located

within 21°34′ - 29°50′ N latitude and 87°32′ - 97°52′

E longitude with an altitudinal variation from almost

sea level to more than 7000 meters above msl, representing about 8 % of the total geographic area

of the country4. Being a part of Himalayan and

Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots, the region

encompasses a rich wealth of flora and fauna5.

Though composing about 3.1 % of the total

population of the country6, anthropologically the

region is equally bio-diverse with more than 150 ethnic tribes speaking as many languages,

with various socio-cultural traditions. The tribes are

mainly divided into two broad communities, tribes

belonging to Monkhemar culture of Austoic dialect and tribes belonging to Tibeto-Burman subfamily

of Tibeto-Chinese group who are basically

mongoloids7.These ethnic populations develop

several traditional recipes for food and beverages

to adapt to the harsh environmental conditions for

centuries8. Documentation of such ethnic recipes was

made by several researchers time to time9-18

.

Arunachal Pradesh has a significant tribal

population which is distinctly categorized into

26 major tribes and 110 sub-tribes19

. Monpa tribes are predominantly inhabited West Kameng and

Tawang districts of Western Arunachal Pradesh.

Their maximum population is found in Bomdila subdivision of West Kameng district. Due to their

ethnobotanical practices they have managed and

conserved the biodiversity of their surrounding20

.

Monpa tribe are usually non-vegetarian in their food habitat, but utility of several seeded and non-seeded

plants is significantly reflected in the cultural and

religious practices as well as traditional foods11,21-23

. —————— *Corresponding author

INDIAN J TRADIT KNOWLE, VOL. 15, NO. 3, JULY 2016

510

These traditional foods are integral part of their daily

diet as well as various socio-cultural events24

. The

present study not only documents the dietary use of Algae by Monpa tribe also summarized the same by

various other tribes in north east India.

Materials and methods

The traditional knowledge of Algal consumption in traditional foods among the Monpa tribe was found

during an algal floristic study in Western Arunachal

Pradesh in March-April 2014. Then, several surveys

were carried out in the local markets as well as among resource persons of Dirang, Bomdila and Tawang.

The information on the dietary use of Algae was

gathered by individual interviews with 15-20 local vendors and 10-12 resource persons in the localities.

Detailed documentation was made for plant parts

used, processing and application of the plant product. Help of a local guide was taken in approaching the

resource persons. Comparative study of the market

value of the processed plant product was also made

not only in the said localities also in nearby localities and communities. After thorough investigation and

collection of ethno-botanical data, the dried algal

material was also obtained from the local market of Bomdila and Tawang for identification. Detailed

morphological study of the Algae was made with

Nikon microscope Ni – 11 fitted with Nikon Digital Camera DS – Ri1 – U3 and operated by Nikon

Imaging Software NIS – D + EDF. The plants were

identified following standard monographs and

literature.

Results and discussion

Dietary use of Algae in the North eastern states was first reported in early 70’s from Manipur

25-26.

Since then several reports were made from

various ethnic groups of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh

11,14,18,27,28. The Algal species reported from

North east India for their dietary uses are enlisted

in Table 1. Lemanea and Paralemanea are freshwater red

Algae (Rhodophyceae) were only reported from

Manipur in India so far. These grow in all five rivers

of Manipur, i.e., Chakpi, Manipur, Iril, Imphal and Thoubal River in colder months, when they are

harvested and processed for sale in markets2930

.

Earlier documentations showed occurrences of five Lemanea species, L. australis Atkinson, L. catenata

Kütz., L. fluviatilis (L.) C. Agardh, L. mamillosa

Kütz. and L. torulosa (Roth) C. Agardh, from

Manipur, but ambiguity of their identification and

taxonomic position was revised by Ganesan et al.30

.

They have not only re-identified the earlier reported L. fluviatilis

28 as a novel taxon L. manipurensis but

also corrected the nomenclature of all the reported

species. Other than dietary uses these algal species

were also studied for their nutrient analysis31,32

, therapeutic uses

33-36, bio-fuel production

37 and

synthesis of fluorescent gold nanoparticles38

.

Paralemanea grandis [Syn. Lemanea australis], which is reported from the rivers of Manipur is regarded

as critically endangered plant by Mao et al.4

Practice of including Algae in traditional food

recipes is a century old affair in Arunachal Pradesh,

according to local vendors and local Monpa tribe of Dirang and Bomdila. But, it was documented recently

and probably misidentified as blue green algae11

.

During the present investigation, it is found the

Alga to be freshwater green algae (Chlorophyceae), Ulva intestinalis. The Alga (Figs. 1-4) grows

luxuriantly attached to submerged rocks in Siang

River near Dirang and Bomdila. The Alga is reported first time from the state and as a rare record

from freshwater habitats. The voucher specimen of

the Algae (CAL-69556) was deposited in Central National Herbarium, Howrah (CAL). The local

tribes collect the Alga during late winter (January –

February), when the flow of the river is slow.

Then the Alga is sundried after thorough cleaning. The dried Alga (locally named as Chhilap) is sold in

local markets in 100-150 gm packets (Fig. 2, 5-7).

The price of each packet varies from INR 450 – 500 (INR 4500 – 5000/Kg) and the availability of the

dried alga in the market is restricted from late winter

(January-February) to early summer (March-April). According to local people, the high price of the

alga is due to the life-risking methods of its

collection. The Alga contains high levels of essential

amino acids and dietary fibres, thus is used for nutritional purpose worldwide. Its consumption

reduces blood lipid level and chances of coronary

cardiac diseases.

The red algal taxa Pyropia vietnamensis

(Tak. Tanaka & P.H. Ho) J.E. Sutherland & Monotilla (also locally named as Chhilap) (Fig. 8), though

not collected locally, is extensively found in the

local markets of Tawang in small packets of 100 gm (Fig. 6-7). The market price of the

packets of the Alga Pyropia vietnamensis is also

cheaper in comparison to that of Ulva intestinalis.

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Table 1 – Algal species consumed for dietary purpose in North-east India

Botanical name (Class) Local name Plant habitat Market price (INR/kg)

Dietary use and preparation

Lemanea manipurensis E.K. Ganesan, J.A.

West, Zuccarello & J. Rout (Rhodophyceae) Lemanea mamillosa Kütz. (Rhodophyceae) Paralemanea grandis (Wolle) Kumano (Rhodophyceae) Paralemanea catenata (Kütz.) Vis & Sheath (Rhodophyceae) Paralemanea torulosa (Roth) Sheath

(Rhodophyceae)

Nungsham

(= Hair of stone)

Chakpi river,

Manipur river (Manipur)

7000/- Ingredient of local

Manipuri cuisine Singju

and also used in preparation of sour chutney for its fishy smell. Used by Meitei, Kuki, Kuki-chin-mizo

communities.

Prasiola crispa (Lightfoot) Kütz.(Chlorophyceae)

NA Siang river (Arunachal Pradesh)

NA Used in preparation of soup and sometimes cooked with vegetables.

Used by Monpa and Sherdukpens

communities

Unknown Blue Green Algae

(Cyanophyceae)

Chhilap or Rimom Siang river

(Arunachal Pradesh)

NA Used by Monpa tribe in

the preparation of traditional recipe Shya

Phrum Rimom, where it is cooked with meat and Paneer.

Ulva intestinalis L. (Chlorophyceae) Chhilap U. intestinalisis collected from Siang river

(Arunachal Pradesh)

4500-5000/- Cooked mostly with meat, vegetables and in soups. Specially consumed during Losar

festival by Monpa tribe.

Pyropia vietnamensis (Tanaka & P.H. Ho) J.E Sutherland (Rhodophyceae)

Chhilap marine red alga imported from Taiwan

1500-2000/- Cooked mostly with meat, vegetables and in soups. Specially consumed during Losar

festival by Monpa tribe.

Fig. 1—Thallus structure of Ulva intestinalis L.; Fig. 2—Sun-dried algae; Figs. 3-4—Light microscopic photographs of the thallus showing the cellular pattern; Fig. 5—Selling of dried algal packets in the Bomdila local market by the Monpa tribal women.

(Scalebar:Fig. 1 = 1 cm; Fig 3-4=20 µm); Fig. 6-7—Packets of dried marine algae Pyropia vietnamensis imported from Taiwan; Fig.8—Thallus structure of Pyropia vietnamensis. (Scale bar: Fig. 10 = 1 cm)

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The information about these red algal packets was collected from local people and vendors. According

to them, the packets are imported from Taiwan and

the seaweed is unknown to them. The authentication

of the algal species was made after thorough morphometric observations. The voucher specimen

of the Algae (CAL-69557) was deposited in

Central National Herbarium, Howrah (CAL). It is a major dietary constituent in the coastal Asian

countries. This Alga is of high therapeutic utilities

for being source of bioactive substances and antifungal compounds. According to the Monpa tribe,

both the Algae (Chhilap) are rich sources of vitamins,

so are mostly used to feed children for better health.

Unfortunately, the population of the Alga is degrading now a day, which is may be due to some climatic

changes and limnological alterations. So, future

strategies should be made for long term preservation of the alga, for throughout the year availability.

The present traditional knowledge will help in

socio-economic awareness among the local tribal farmers as well as researchers leading to sustainable

development through cultivation of the freshwater

algae Ulva intestinalisin the river beds as well as

ex-situ conditions and their marketing in this region.

Acknowledgement

Author is grateful to the Director, Botanical Survey

of India, for facilities and encouragement and is also

thankful to local Monpa tribal people of Dirang,

Bomdila and Tawang for sharing their valuable traditional knowledge during the survey.

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