Processing of Indigenous Food Materials for Food Preservation andSecurity: The Case of Avocado (Persea Americana) Fruit

Abstract

Indigenous food materials encompass materials such as: plants,
animals, insects, etc., that are native to a specific region and have
been traditionally used for food by the indigenous people of that
area. The foods are whole and unprocessed. The include: grain
cereals, leafy vegetables, tropical fruits, legumes, starchy stems,
wild yams, root tubers, edible insects, etc. These food substances
are cultivated spontaneously, following the climatic seasons.
The need for cultural preservation, nutritional security, food
sovereignty, etc., makes the study of the processing of indigenous
food substances remarkable. Ordinarily, they are underutilized and
a lot of them are wasted.