Documentation of Sociocultural significance of wild plant taxa used by Bodo Tribes of Assam: A Traditional Bitter–Sour Mixed Vegetable Curry Associated with Bwisagu (Bohag Bihu)

¹Daimalu Baro, ²Jagat Chandra Gogoi, ³Promod Chandra Borah, ⁴Tonkeswar Das, ⁵Ushamoni Gogoi, ⁶Jitu Gogoi, ⁷Neeta Basumatary & ⁸Raj Kumar Gohain Baruah

¹Department of Botany, Tinsukia College, Tinsukia, Assam-786125;

²Department of Physics, Mariani College, Jorhat, Assam-785634;

³Department of Botany, B. H. College, Howly, Barpeta, Assam-78136;

⁴Department of Assamese, Tinsukia College, Tinsukia, Assam-786125;

⁵Department of Botany, Gogamukh College, Dhemaji, Assam-787034;

⁶Department of Botany, Silapathar Science College, Silapathar, Dhemaji, Assam-787059;

⁷Department of Botany, Nowgong Girls’ College, Nagaon, Assam-782002;

⁸Department of Botany, Mariani College, Jorhat, Assam-785634

*Corresponding author: gogojitu@gmail.com

Abstract

Wild edible plants form a vital part of the cultural identity and nutritional practices of indigenous groups in Assam. Among the Bodo tribe, the festival of Bwisagu (coinciding with Bohag Bihu, the Assamese New Year in April) is marked by the preparation of a bitter–sour curry using varieties wild plants, symbolizing regeneration and defense for the year ahead. This study documents a total of 112 wild edible plants under 96 genera and 109 families consumed on the beginning day of Bwisagu, highlighting their culinary and therapeutic roles. The conclusions emphasize the value of preserving indigenous ecological knowledge as a vital resource for cultural continuity and sustainable living.

Keywords: Bwisagu, wild edible plants, Assam

Introduction

Assam, situated in the Northeastern region of India and is home to a diverse group of indigenous communities, each distinguished by unique culture and tradition traditions, languages and ecological knowledge. Among these, the Bodo tribe is one of the largest scheduled tribes of Assam which celebrates Bwisagu in mid-April, coinciding with Bohag Bihu (Assamese New Year and spring festival). These festivals mark agrarian regeneration, community harmony and cultural continuity and are celebrated with vibrant songs, dances, and rituals. A characteristic cooking tradition related with these celebrations is the preparation of Xaak (a curry of 101 wild leafy vegetables during Bihu which reflects Assam’s agricultural heritage and cultural values. This practice represents conservation of diverse plants, traditional knowledge and seasonal harmony, blending diverse flavors and nutrients that strengthen health while reinforcing community bonds with nature.

Ethnobotanical studies have long highlighted the significance of traditional ecological knowledge in supporting biodiversity with food security. In Assam, the indigenous groups consuming wild edible plants since long before and cultural fabric of indigenous communities. The people of Bodo tribe have preserved a rich source of knowledge associated to the use of wild plants for food and medicine. Previous studies have documented the use of wild vegetables in districts such as Baksa and Udalguri (Basumatary et al., 2025 & Saharia & Yasmin, 2016). Similar traditions are common practice among all other ethnic groups in Assam, including the preparation of Ekho-Ek Bidh Xaak (101 types of wild leafy vegetable) by the Assamese community (Roy U., 2025). These traditional practices not only reflect cooking diversity but also serve as strategies for biodiversity conservation and culture of Assamese. Supporting this, ethnobotanical surveys in Kokrajhar district have highlighted the medicinal and dietary roles of wild plants among the Bodo community (Basumatary et al., 2024), while studies in Lakhimpur district emphasized the medicinal values of plant species (Neog & Borkataki, 2025). Around 122 species with 89 genera under 52 families and two varieties of fern were described from adjoining villages of the Poba Reserve Forest in Jonai, Dhemaji district of Assam which is dominated by the Mishing tribe (Pegu et al., 2013). Together, these findings emphasize the interconnectedness of food, culture, conservation of plant diversity and identity of indigenous group across the Assam.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted during the periods of 2023 - 2025 in Bodo-dominated districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, Tamulpur and in some parts of Upper Assam including Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, and Dibrugarh districts. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out using semi-structured interviews with aged persons, and women’s, complemented by participant observation during Bwisagu celebration. Plant specimens were collected from forests, wetlands, fallow lands, and home gardens, and identified through experts and online sources. The methodology of Jain and Rao (1977) were used during the collection of data. Documentation included local names (Bodo and Assamese), habit and habitats, plant parts used, seasons of availability of recorded samples. Voucher plant specimens were deposited in the Department of Botany, Tinsukia College, Assam for future references.

Table1: List of Districts of Assam surveyed in investigations of Traditional Bitter–Sour Mixed Vegetable Curry Associated with Bwisagu (Bohag Bihu) in Assam.

Results

The present investigation documented a total of 112 wild edible plants under 96 genera and 109 families consumed during Bwisagu celebration. Out of documented species, angiosperms represent 109 taxa and 3 species were pteridophyte. During this study, no single edible species of gymnosperm was recorded. Among the documented plants, 22 monocot and 87 were dicot; where numbers of herb, shrub and trees are 67, 28, 17 respectively. The documented plants are mainly used in a traditional bitter–sour curry prepared on the 7^th day of the festival and the knowledge on the use of plant transmitting from generation to generation. The wild plant species being documented have varieties of tastes includes bitter, slightly bitter, acrid, pungent, spicy, hot aromatic, sour, acidic, tangy, sweet, mildly sweet, earthy, astringent, resinous, salty, fishy, strong odor, mixed complex type.

The documented plants were collected from diverse habitat such as forest area, forest margin, open area, open fields, grassland roadsides, wastelands, cultivated fields, homesteads gardens, wetland, moist and shady soils and crop fields. The plants serve nutritional, ethnomedicinal with economic and link to own culture and tradition. The main mode of cooking is boiling, with minimal use of oil and spices, sometimes they never used any kinds of oil and spices except salt. The below Table 2: summarizes key ethnobotanical information of wild plant species consumed during celebration Bwisagu.

Table- 2: Enumeration of wild edible plants in Bwisagu festival (Bohag Bihu in Assamese) of Bodo community in Assam

Discussion

Preparation of special dish using wild edible plants during Bwisagu reflects a deep-rooted cultural and ecological tradition among the people of Bodo tribe. The bitter–sour curry represents the transition from the old year to the new, with bitterness representing past hardships and sourness signifying regeneration. These cooking and consuming traditions are not only nutritionally beneficial but also strengthen identity of the community and ecological stewardship. Besides, they believe that they can be healthy and strong for the whole year to do hard agricultural activities. Supporting this study, A documentation work done in Tinsukia district of Assam where 96 wild plant species recorded, of which 56% were used as vegetables, 30% as edible fruits, and 7% as masticatory or spices (Saikia et al., 2025), The reliance on diverse habitats for plant collection demonstrates sustainable use of local biodiversity. Moreover, the oral transmission of knowledge ensures intergenerational continuity and resilience of traditional food systems. Comparative analysis with other ethnic groups in Assam reveals both shared and unique practices, underscoring the region’s rich ethnobotanical heritage. These traditional knowledge of wild plant consumption linked with socio-culture is largely transmitted orally across generations, remain under-documented despite their ethnobotanical importance (Endle, 1990 & Brahma, 2011).

Conclusion

The present investigation highlights the sociocultural significance of wild edible plants used by the Bodo tribe during Bwisagu celebration. Record of 112 wild edible plant species proves the Bodo community linked to deep ethnobotanical knowledge and its role in sustaining conservation of plant resources, alternative nutrition and their cultural uniqueness. Conserving these traditional practices is vital for encouraging sustainable food systems and safeguarding imperceptible socio-cultural heritage of the community. Further research can be found out more valuable information such as exact nutritional and phytochemical content, conservation methods and addition of traditional knowledge into policy frameworks.

Acknowledgement

The authors highly acknowledged their sincere gratitude to the people and households who have shared their valuable information on wild edible plants traditionally consumed during Boisagu (Bohag Bihu) celebration in districts of BTR and upper Assam. Their contributions have been very significant in enlisting the traditional knowledge on wild plants associated with this festival. The authors are also grateful for the support given in collecting and identifying local names with taste of the wild plants used by the Bodo people, which has enriched the genuineness and socio-cultural depth of the study.

Declaration

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

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