Algarrobo pods (Prosopis sp, Fabaceae) in the central and northwestern Argentina. Food traditional products and technological innovations involved in their manufacture

LOPEZ, MARIA LAURA; CAPPARELLI AYLEN

Córdoba

Congreso; International Congress of Ethnobotany; 2014

Real Jardín Botanico de Cordoba

Pods of algarrobo arboreal Algarobia Fabaceae Prosopis alba P. nigra (Griseb) Hieron., P. chilensis (Mol.) and P. flexuosa DC. are wild natives resources that have been used in the subsistence of the population that occupied central and northern Argentina prehispanic past to the present. The manufacturing process of different products (flour, beverages and jams) were previously surveyed for P. chilensis and P. flexuosa from traditional knowledge of people in HualfínValley, Catamarca Province (Northwest Argentina NWA). The overall objective of this paper is to compare these results with new contributions (in this case P. alba and P. nigra that come from the survey of traditional knowledge of the population living in the locality Cerro Colorado, Córdoba Province (Central Argentina), as well as to analyze the innovations implemented by the latter in terms of processing practices, product diversification and circulation in the domestic market. An ethnobotanical methodology consisted of participant observation and structured interviews was used. Data was registered in field book, digital recording and pictures.Reference specimensof the fruits used, as well as subsamples of both intermediate and final stages of each productprocessing and waste were collected for subsequent laboratory analysis.The results showed, on the one hand, that the pods processing is carried out by women, however, they mentioned that currently there is a decrease in the number of local producers of traditional foods n this population. On the other hand, the three products usually made in Central Argentina are "arrope, flour and "coffee". The flour" is not used for the elaboration patay" or beverages, as it is seen in NOA, but is used or blending with wheat flour in the preparation of pastries. The coffee" is a modern productnot registered in the traditional cuisine in the NOA. The instrumental used from the collection stage to the development of products has been upgraded.The new tools employed allow accelerating production times and lowering processing costs without changing the perception of the product by the people as a handmade. Furthermore, these changes have contributed to an increase in product availability for sale.