Journal of Ethnobiology 221-225 19(2): Winter ETHNOBOTANICAL OVERVIEW GOGD OF ramosum {Allium A TRADITIONAL EDIBLE WILD PLANT USED BY INNER L.): MONGOLIANS KHASBAGAN Department Kunming of Ethnobiology, Institute of Botany, the C Kunming, of Sciences 650204, the People's Republic of NARISU Department Renewable Wyoming, Resources, University of of USA Wyoming Laramie, 82071, KEVIN STUART Qinghai Education Xining, Qinghai College, 810008, Republic China the People's of ABSTRACT- Plants have figured prominently in Mongols' food and The shelter. and oigogd ramosum traditional collecting, processing preservation (Allium L.) as Mongol way a The food are recorded. authors present the of preparation of the leaves and inflorescence of the plant as a dish or condiment and suggest efficient means and for conservation utilization. its Key Mongol words: gogd, Allium ramosum edible plant, food, utilization L., RESUMO um - desempenharam papel proeminente nas dietas e abrigos Plantas dos Mongols. Sao registrados a colheita, o processamento e a preserva^ao degogd ramosum como uma comida Mongolica. Os autores tradicionais (Allium L.) mostram a maneira de preparagao das folhas e inflorescencias desta planta para um um ser prato ou condimento e eles sugerem meios eficientes para a sua preservagao e utiliza^ao. RESUMfi - frequemment dans nourriture dans Tabri Les plantes figurent la et des Mongols. Les methodes traditionnelles de la collection, preparation et comme Mongole du gogd ramosum une nourriture sont preservation (Allium L.) decrites. Les auteurs presentent la voie de preparation des feuilles et des comme un ou condiment, proposent aussi inflorescences de plante plat lis cette une methode de conservation de Tusaee de cette plante. efficace et la INTRODUCTION Mongols have been nomadic herders on the Mongolian Plateau grassland for Republic At Mongols are distributed in Mongolia, the People's centuries. present, Uighur Au- of China Mongolia Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Xingjiang (Inner Russia (Buryatia tonomous and Heilongjiang provinces), Region, Liaoning, Jilin and Kazakhstan Republic Autonomous Within Russian Federation), Republic such Commonwealth Independent Various factors, as loss of (within of States). KASBAGAN No. 2 Vol. 19, 222 et al. prime grassland to agriculture, have led some Mongols to adopt agriculture, al- many Khasbagan and Yumzab have though continue to raise livestock. (1988) Mongol botanical culture and usage of wild plants. These discussed traditional Mongols have had with authors argue that the intimate relationship traditionally them environment led to utilize natural resources rationally. their Allium ramosiim L. similar to cultivated chive {A. tuberosum Rottl. ex Spreng.). is However, A.ramosum has hoUower, and narrower leaves that are pointed longer, the end, and a perianth lobe with a red middle vein, while A. tuberosum has flat, at them solid leaves, and a perianth lobe with a green middle vein, distinguishing Asia (Shan from each Cultivated chive originated in the eastern part of 1994), other. and ramosum widely northern China, Mongolia, Russia while A. distributed in is (Uljihutag 1985; Shan 1994; Yuquan 1994). Allium ramosum, also called kheringogd, common mean and gogd and Mongolian), a zherlig {kherin zherlig 'wild' in is edible wild plant traditionally used by Mongols. In the thirteenth century Secret (Anonymous was gogosum and History the Mongols 1240), the plant recorded as of reported as being eaten by Temujin (name of Chinggis Khan) and his family (Khasbagan 1996). Lobsangchuiden (1918) called the plant ^o^osw and reported it Mongol by Mongols as "a plant used as food for a long time" in the Records of Customs, Yunatov noted that "the plant used as food by herdsmen." The (1958) is word gogd horn gogosum and Ardezab Mongolia, derives (Eldentai In Inner 1986). our identification of collected specimens demonstrates that the plant referred to by locals as gogd A. ramosum. Gogosu could have been another synonym, al- is we though have not found any reference dealing with it. The two authors' investigations indicate that the plant remains a source first of food in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region grassland area. Unfortunately, no systematic study of the plant's collection, processing, and preservation has been From found in the literature. 1986 to 1996, the author carried out investiga- first A tions in herding areas of the Iimer Mongolia Autonomous Region. number of Mongolian herdsmen, Buddhism, most them peasants, \amas (practitioners of of are also medical practitioners), and physicians were interviewed and specimens were two Mon- of the plant collected. Additionally, the first authors were born in how and gol grassland areas are personally familiar with the plant used in their is home During area. the course of research, twenty specimens were collected from and housed Department Mongolia different areas, identified, at the of Biology, Iimer Teachers' University. MONGOL FOOD CULTURE mid In the 9^*^ century, Mongols began engage nomadic herding (Dujian to in At 1985). present in Inner Mongolia, the geographic areas where Mongols reside can be grouped into herding areas, herding-farming and farming Major areas, areas. traditional food sources have been meat, milk, and milk by-products. Although these traditional food sources continue be important two grains to in the areas, first such Panicum as miliaceum L. var. eftusum Alef. have become an important source of food as well. While Mongols in the farming and herding-farming areas (most of them own in eastern Inner Mongolia) have gardens grow such their to vegetables, Winter JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY 1999 223 many and as onions, cabbages potatoes, Mongols in the herding and herding-farm- ing areas do not have access to gardens in order to grow vegetables family for consumption, because nomadic semi-nomadic of or herding practices. Individu- als in these two areas get most of their fresh vegetables from banner a (administrative unit similar to a county) town. In these areas, some wild plants became we important vegetable sources. For past ten years, have identified twenty species of wild plants used as vegetables in Inner Mongolia (unpublished data), twenty species of wild plants used as tea (Khasbagan 1990), and fifteen species of wild plants used (Khasbagan for their edible fruits 1995). AND GOGD COLLECTION, USAGE OF PROCESSING, Collection- Collecting ^o^ff a part of everyday during the growing season of is life Gogd when cm a year. collected about ten and the peak time for har- is it is tall, May vesting through The above-ground parts, consisting primarily of leaves, is July. are picked by women, elders, and children near residential areas, or by men trav- eling on horseback or animal-drawn carts to distant places in order to collect large amounts oigogd and to 5 kg, fresh weight) for preservation future use. also (4 It is common for individuals during the course of traveling on foot and doing outdoor work, such as herding livestock, to gather the plant daily in order to obtain enough when August and fresh material (around 0.3 kg) for a family meal. In late July, the which Ap- plants blossom, people the inflorescence, also called soriz. collect is and proximately one to two kg in fresh weight are usually gathered processed in a way similar to that of the leaves. mam Processing and Usage- After collection, gogd can be preserved One kg gogd commonly mixed with 0.15-0.20 kg of The inflorescence of salt. is md may and added. The dish be eaten immediately a similar ratio of salt is in a container make mutton to meat more Some Mongols prefer adding Juuhei (liquid that sta palatable. yogurt when yogurt made in a container) in the soup. Mongols also serve is dumplings stuffed customary en Banner of Ulaanhad League. common winter usage also rvation for is much sev^ The and could reach as as kg. process^ lected related to availability is and individual fami according availability leaves, inflorescences, or mixture, to amour and added in preferences, are placed in containers for future use, salt method Kheshigt seen dictated by individual preferences. This preservation is in Banner and Ulaanhad League and the two Ujimchin Banners Barin Barmer, Left Ulaanhad Barin Banner, In Left preserva few days and called soriz in Left Barin tion, the dish ready to be eaten in a is is Banner (Ulaanhad served League). It is time. KASBAGAN No. 2 Vol. 19, 224 et al. may may Gogd be sun Fresh gogd be used as a condiment for dishes. also dried a few days, groimd into a powder, and used as a condiment in winter. for and Soriz may be processed similarly to gogd^ but only the inflorescence is used Once then mixed with salt kg inflorescence, 0.1 kg salt, 0.5 kg sour milk). the (1 may mixture ground into a pulp, be served as a condiment for other dishes. is it amount added sheep blood Additionally, a small of soriz (about 0.01kg) to in- is and cooked sausage. testines as DISCUSSION and Mongol gogd most (Ulaanhad a taboo to dig out the roots of in areas It is and Xilingol Leagues). Considerable care therefore taken while collecting leaves is damage Mongols blossoms so as not to the roots. This an example of traditional is conservation of wild plants. Utilization of gogd as a food by Mongols has been restricted to the level of and popula- family consumption. Deteriorating grassland conditions increasing some Mongols tion pressures are threatening gogd as a resource. Consequently, are growing wild gogd near their homes. The authors believe that this an impor- is tant step toward overcoming a current shortage of wild plant resources. Of many special note that Mongols assert that gogd efficacious as a tonic is is for stomach ailments. Although there no written information regarding this claim, is further work needed to better understand the nutritional and medicinal values is oigogd, as well as possibilities for potential large-scale production. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We we Autonomous interviewed during our investigations in Inner Mongolia Region, the People's Republic of China. LITERATURE CITED ELDENTAI ARDEZAB. KHASBAGAN. and Wild plants 1986. 1996. edible Annotated and recorded History of Restored Secret History in ''Secret Land of Mongols. Inner Mongolia Education Mongols/' lournal of Arid Press, Huhhot. (In Mongolian). Resources and Environment 10: 87-94. DUJIAN, A W. 1985. brief history of (In Chinese). KHASBAGAN YUMZAB. Mongols. Inner Mongolia People's and 1988. Huhhot. Mongolian botanical Press, (In Chinese). Traditional KHASBAGAN. A Mongolia 1990. preliminary study culture. lournal of Inner Normal of plants used as Mongolian traditional University (Natural science Acta Botanica Yunnanica Mongolian). tea. 12: 43-48. edition) 10: 87-94. (In LOBSANGCHUIDEN. Records (In Chinese). 1918. of KHASBAGAN. Mongol Mongolia 1995. Ethnobotanical study Customs. Inner on wild edible fruits of Mongols in People's Publishing House, Huhhot. (In Arhorchin Banner, Inner Mongolia, Mongolian). China. Journal of Inner Mongolia SHAN, C. 1994. Resources of Forage Plants Normal University (Natural science in Chinese Grasslands. Liaoning edition) 72: 60-63. (In Chinese). Nationality Press, Shenyang. (In Chinese). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY Winter 1999 225 YUQUAN, M. ULJIHUTAG. 1985. Key the Forage Plants 1994. Flora of Inner to in Grasslands of Mongolian People's Mongolia, Vol. (2"^ edition). Inner 5, Republic. National Publishing House, Mongolia People's Publishing House, Huhhot. Ulaanbaatar. (In Mongolian). (In Chinese). YUNATOV, A. A. 1958. (translated by H. ZHAOHUA). Forage Grassland Plants Mongolian of the People's Republic. Science Press^ Beijing. (In Chinese).