Table 1.
Home country food plant and herbal ingredients used by Albanian migrants in Piedmont
| Botanical name of the plant ingredient and its botanical family | Common English name | Recorded Albanian name | Locally acquired (L) (cultivated, purchased or gathered from the wild [G]) or informally imported from Albania (I) | Part(s) used | Recorded food (F), medicinal (M), and food-medicinal (F/M) uses | Frequency of quotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, Malvaceae | Okra | Bamja | L | Fr | F: vegetable | ++ |
| Allium cepa L., Amaryllidaceae | Onion | Qepa | L | Bu | M: crushed and topically applied with garlic and vinegar for treating knee pain | + |
| Allium sativum L., Amaryllidaceae | Garlic | Hudhra | L and I | Bu | F: preserved in oil; seasoning home-made lacto-fermented (salt brined) pickles (turshi) M: hang under the stroller as an anti-Evil Eye agent |
+++ |
| Allium ampeloprasum L., Amaryllidaceae | Leek | Preshi, Purri | L | St | M: topical applications for treating ear-aches | + |
| Beta vulgaris L., Amaranthaceae | Beetroot and chard | Panxhari | L | Le | F: preserved in oil (beet root) and filling for salty pies (byrek) (chard) | + |
| Brassica oleracea L., Brassicaceae | Cabbage | Lakra | L | Le | F: sarma (leaves rolled around filling of rice and meat) | + |
| Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae | Chili and bell pepper | Djegës, Speci | L and I | Fr | F: fermented in sour ricotta (gjizë) or preserved in oil (chili) | + |
| Cichorium intybus L., Asteraceae | Wild cichory | Rrapiqe | L (G) | Le | F: filling for salty pies (byrek) | + |
| Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai, Cucurbitaceae | Water melon | Shalqi | L and I (seeds) | Fr | F: consumed raw | + |
| Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck, Rutaceae | Lemon | Limon | L and I | Fr | M: against flu and as an antiseptic | + |
| Cucumis melo L., Cucurbitaceae | Melon | Bostan, Piepen | L and I (seeds) | Fr | F: consumed raw | + |
| Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbitaceae | Squash | Kungull | L | Fr | F: filling for pies (byrek) | + |
| Cydonia oblonga Mill., Rosaceae | Quince tree | Ftoj | L | Wp | M: used for weather forecasting - if it blossoms in May, the following winter will be very cold | + |
| Ficus carica L., Moraceae | Fig | Fik | L and I | Fr | F: jam | + |
| Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Apiaceae | Fennel | Koper | L and I | Fr | F: seasoning cabbage sarma M: digestive and anti-bacterial teas |
++ |
| Juglans regia L., Juglandaceae | Walnut | Arra | L and I | Se | F: kadaif and ashure sweets | + |
| Laurus nobilis L., Lauraceae | Laurel | Dafën | L and I | Le | M: digestive and expectorant teas; when burnt in a baby’s room, the smoke protects the child against the Evil Eye |
++ |
| Malva sylvestris L., Malvaceae | Mallow | Mullaga | L (G) and I | Le | M: topically applied to wounds for healing them; drunk as a tea against asthma; as an anti-Evil Eye agent | + |
| Matricaria chamomilla L., Asteraceae | Chamomille | Kamomill | L and I | Ap | M: tea against flu and for calming | +++ |
| Mentha spp., Lamiaceae | Mint | Mender, Nenexhik | L and I | Le | M: tea for treating flu | ++ |
| Ocimum basilicum L., Lamiaceae | Basil | Borzilok | L | Le | M: as an anti-Evil Eye agent | + |
| Orchis spp., Orchidaceae | Wild orchid | Salep | I | Ro | F/M: powdered and boiled in milk; in winter often drunk with a piece of bread | + |
| Origanum vulgare L., Lamiaceae | Oregano | Rigon, Çaj mali | I | Ap | M: tea used recreationally, for treating inflammations, depurative, as a panacea | +++ |
| Papaver rhoeas L., Papaveraceae | Corn poppy | Lulëkuqe | I | Fl | M: tea as a calming agent and a hemostatic | + |
| Pelargonium spp., Geraniaceae | Geranium | Lulëbarbarosa | L and I | Le | F/M: syrup, also used as an astringent | + |
| Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss, Apiaceae | Parsley | Majdanoz | L | Le | F: seasoning home-made pickles (turshi) | ++ |
| Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae | Green beens | Bishtaja | L and I (seeds) | Fr | F: vegetable | + |
| Prunus avium (L.) L., Rosaceae | Cherry | Qershia | I | Fr | F: home-made alcoholic macerate | + |
| Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb, Rosaceae | Almond | Bajame | L and I | Se | F: kabuni sweet | + |
| Punica granatum L., Lythraceae | Pomegranate | Shegë | L and I | Fr | F: pulp processed in juice; M: fruit epicarp decocted and used externally for treating skin problems |
+ |
| Rosa canina L., Rosaceae | Rose hip | Dranofile i egër | I | Fr | F: jam | + |
| Rubus ulmifolius Schott, Rosaceae | Blueberry | Ferra | L (G) | Fr | M: tea as a depurative | + |
| Rumex spp., Polygonaceae | Sorrell | Lepjet | L (G) | Le | F: filling for salty pies (byrek) | + |
| Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae | Sage | Sherbela | L and I | Le | F: seasoning; M: digestive tea |
+ |
| Silene vulgaris (Mill.) Garke, Caryophyllaceae | Bladder campion | Vesh lepri | G | Le | F: filling for salty pies (byrek) | + |
| Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae | Tomato | Domate | L | Uf | F: pickled | + |
| Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae | Potato | Patate | L | Tu | F/M: soup for treating flu | + |
| Solanum melongena L., Solanaceae | Aubergine | Patëllxhan | L | Fr | F: pickled, roasted | ++ |
| Spinacia oleracea L., Amaranthaceae | Spinach | Spinaq | L | Le | F: filling for salty pies (byrek) | + |
| Syderitis spp., Lamiaceae | Mountain tea | Çaj mali | I | Ap | M: tea used recreationally, for treating inflammations, depurative, as a panacea | +++ |
| Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Fabaceae | Fenugreek | Trëndelinë | L and I | Se | F: seasoning; M: as a lucky charm |
+ |
| Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae | Nettle | Hithër | L (G) | Le | F: filling for pies (byrek); M: teas drunk for treating rheumatisms or externally applied as a means for strengthening hair |
++ |
| Vitis labrusca L., Vitaceae | Fox grape | Rrush çelek | I | Fr | F: consumed raw | + |
| Ziziphus jujuba Mill., Rhamnaceae | Giuggiolo | Kymçe | I | Fr | F: consumed raw/fermented | + |
Ap aerial parts, Bu bulbs, Fl flowers, Fr fruits, Le leaves, Ro roots, Se seeds, St stems, Tu tubers, Uf unripe fruits, Wp whole plant
+, mentioned by less than 10% of the study participants; ++, mentioned by 10–39% of the study participants; +++, mentioned by at least 40% of the study participants