Himachal Pradesh (“ Land of Gods”)

Disclaimer: It is advised to consume these plants only after the consent of an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Himachal Pradesh or earlier known as “Trigarta” (The state lay in the foothills drained by three rivers, i.e. Ravi, Beas, and Satluj.) is another beautiful state of India known for its scenic beauty. While traveling through the twists and turns of the roads of Himachal, we observe lush green plants covered all over the mountains. People are generally attracted to this place because of the greenery and tranquillity in the place. Certain plants in the region are used as food ingredients in local homes, although not all of these plants can be eaten raw and need to be cooked first. (Applies to every state).

Explore:

(Scientific name: Taxus baccata) or Yew

(Scientific name: Saussurea costus) or Kuth, Costus

(Scientific name:Podophyllum hexandrum) or Emodi

(Scientific name: Aconitum heterophyllum) or Kod, Ranunkulasi

(Scientific name:Paeonia emodi)

(Scientific name: Swertia chirayita)

(Scientific name: Moringa oleifera)

Moringa flowers

Moringa or also called Drumstick tree

• The easiest option to have moringa leaves is in the form of tea.
• Another way is to convert it into powdered form and sprinkle it on curd or raita.
• Moringa flowers and Drumsticks are used as vegetables or Sabzi.

(Scientific name: Cordia myxa) or Lasoda

• It can be eaten as a vegetable and in the form of a pickle. It turns out to be a combination of sweet-sour vegetable.

(Scientific name: Rhododendron arboreum) or Lal brass

• Brass produces super tasty juices, squashes, and chutney.

(Scientific name: Bauhinia variegata) or Kachnar ke phool

• Kachnar can be used in Achaar (Pickle) , Sabzi and raita.

(Scientific name: Amaranthus) or Chaulai or Chaleri

• Chaleri leaves are used to make saag ( a leafy vegetable dish). It could be eaten with roti or rice.

(Scientific name: Fritillaria cirrhosa) or Jangli lehsun

(Scientific name: Seopodophyllum haggeum) or Ban kakdi

(Scientific name: Aconitum heterophylloides) or Mohra

(Scientific name: Polygonatum verticillatum) or Salam mishri

(Scientific name: Bunium persicum) or Kala jeera

(Scientific name: Rheum australe) or Archo

(Scientific name: Dactylorhiza hatagirea) or Hatta Jadi

(Scientific name: Picrorhiza kurroa) or Kutki

(Scientific name: Rheum webbianum) or Chukri

(Scientific name: Leycesteria formosa) or Himalayan honeysuckle

(Scientific name: Rosa moschata) or Himalayan rose

(Scientific name:Angelica archangelica) or Angelica

(Scientific name: Mentha arvensis) or Wild mint

(Scientific name: Urtica dioica) or Stinging nettle

(Scientific name: Betula utilis) or Himalayan birch

(Scientific name: Juniperus) or Juniper

(Scientific name: Cedarus) or Cedar

(Scientific name: Dioscorea nummularifolia) or Taradi , Kandmool

Taradi vine

(Scientific name: Artocarpus lacucha) or Dheu , Lakoocha, Badhaal

(Scientific name: Brassica oleracea {Gongylodes Group} ) or Gandgobi , Kohlrabi

• It is a delicious vegetable ( the leaves are also added in the preparation of vegetable) and mostly eaten in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh (cool weather vegetable). It can be eaten with rice or roti.

(Scientific name: Rhododendron ponticum) or Common rhododendron

Note: Rhododendron ponticum plant is the state flower of both Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It also implies that in hilly areas, there may be a tendency for certain plants to be more common due to the similarities in their growing conditions.

32 plants have been listed here. Readers can find the recipes for these plants online easily. I highly recommend trying Cordia myxa, Moringa oleifera , Bauhinia variegata, and Amaranthus. Learning becomes easier when these plants (medicinal, aromatic, etc) are connected with daily food preparations. Food is something that brings smile to everybody’s face and healthy food is something that coordinates the whole mind and body harmoniously.

Image credits:

https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/GettyImages-149353949_high.jpg

http://t1.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLyHXHAr9pA1TmWP3PIG6-YXUSBe4CIgetMlzr-PoWXkZOew4dBx0VNkMKZhwuZSkjsE-TrauhZ8o7439fHyKdPZsDTFUSSbQERsJpdcXP

https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/images/item_images/000/005/327/large_square/PODOPHYLLUM_HEXANDRUM.JPG?1495393024

https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/73701317.cms?width=1200&height=900

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-8e9e92f8626e0b732acaf90a3ad3f3a3-lq

https://www.iafaforallergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/aconitum-heterophyllum.jpg

https://5.imimg.com/data5/HR/IX/MY-13256592/58-500x500.jpg

https://img.onmanorama.com/content/dam/mm/en/food/diet-and-nutrition/images/2020/7/17/moringa-leaves.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMkDz3cV5XY/XbyD4MP0sdI/AAAAAAAATyk/KlMIoQWdr4IFlD5AQjL3JAkZ5w1Qa6U5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Deua_Monkey_jack_Artocarpus_lacucha_08.jpg

https://www.easyayurveda.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Lasoda-shleshmataka-Cordia-dichotoma1.jpg

https://himalayanwildfoodplants.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/FB_IMG_1586020301519.jpg

https://himalayanwildfoodplants.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Taradee_vine.jpg

https://www.greathimalayannationalpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/R..arboreum.1024.jpg

https://www.firstverdict.com/resource/images/news/image9467.jpg

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0484/4109/8391/products/amaranthgreen1.jpg?v=1600956197

https://s3g2u3k4.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/10/leycesteria-formosa-himalayan-honeysuckle.jpg

https://elmundodelasrosas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rosa-Moschata.jpg

https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Angelica-archangelica-732x549-thumbnail.jpg

https://www.prairiemoon.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/3/Mentha-arvensis-Wild-Mint.jpg

https://cdn.britannica.com/21/196021-050-45CAA3DB/Stinging-nettle.jpg

https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/42308624/original.jpeg

https://t3.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcSMAO2JPAsiNM6ju9fPU9ppmLodR1ZbGeUWCabg60ra05V2jUEZ-lHAn0rP0QU7RdV7514h-rh_z5Pfb24

https://www.conifers.org/pi/ce/atlantica08.jpg

https://insideecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/rhododendron-944340_1280-810x608.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Brassica_oleracea_var._gongylodes_%28kohlrabi%29.jpg

Sources:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344298521_lahaula_aura_pangi_himacala_pradesa_ke_sankatagrasta_ausadhiya_aura_sugandhita_paudhe

Curious Questions: How, and why, do people eat stinging nettles? - Country Life

https://himalayanwildfoodplants.com/plants-by-botanical-name/#1549203201633-45b6a631-a1b8

Bioactive compounds, health benefits and utilization of Rhododendron: a comprehensive review …

https://www.natureinfocus.in/nature-digest/rhododendron-red-alert#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20Rhododendron%20ponticum%20is,of%20Sikkim%20and%20Uttarakhand%2C%20respectively.

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=257407&isprofile=0#:~:text=Brassica%20oleracea%20(Gongylodes%20Group)%2C,just%20above%20the%20soil%20surface.

TLDR:

Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful region of India known for its lush greenery and tranquility. 31 plants native to the area are used as food ingredients and for medicinal purposes. Recipes for these plants can be found online. It is recommended to try Cordia myxa, Moringa oleifera, Bauhinia variegata and Amaranthus.