Edible flowers commercialized in local markets of Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

Background: Edible flowers are important food resources due to their high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds. In Mexico these resources have been part of the diet of indigenous and mestizo, and are also important sources of income for the families that cultivate, gather and sell them. Questions: What are the species of edible flower commercialized in local markets in Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico? How are they prepared? What are their nutritional contents and conservation risk categories according to literature? Studied species: Agave salmiana, A. mapisaga, Aloe vera, Arbutus xalapensis, Chenopodium berlandieri subsp.nuttalliae, Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo, C. moschata, Dasylirion acrotrichum, Erythrina americana, Euphorbia radians, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Phaseolus coccineus, Yucca filamentosa. Study site and dates: Local markets of Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico. January 2019 to March 2020. Methods: Interview-purchase with sellers and direct observations in markets. Bibliographic review of the nutritional contents of the recorded species and their conservation status. Results: We recorded 13 species of edible flowers and eight preparation methods. Five species are cultivated, five are gathered from the pine-oak forest or xerophilous scrub ecosystems and three are obtained from crops and natural ecosystems. The gualumbos (Agave salmiana and A. mapisaga) are the most commercialized flowers and had the most forms of preparation (six). Seven of the species traded are placed in a conservation risk category. Conclusions: The diversity of edible flowers used, and their preparation methods exemplify the traditional knowledge of the groups that handle them and their importance as food and economic sustenance.

Keywords

• functional foods
• quelite
• traditional cuisine
• traditional knowledge