Wild Edible Tree Fruits of Sikkim Himalayas

Wild edible tree fruit species are traditional sources of nuts, fruits, edible oil and beverages. In Sikkim, these fruit species are valuable in several other ways pertaining to social, economic and ecological services. Surveys were conducted to document the baseline information on use of wild tree fruits in Sikkim Himalayas. Information on wild tree fruit species were collected during structured and semi-structured interviews with native people. Free listing technique enlisted 21 wild edible tree fruits represented by 15 families and 19 genera. These fruits were generally eaten fresh and raw. Some fruit species are socially and commercially important and also has medicinal value such as Diploknema butyraceae, Terminalia chebula, Spondias axillaris and Castanopsis hystrix. These fruits have a great potential to contribute towards nutritional security during food scarcity and can certainly boost the economy of poor people if value addition is encouraged.