Abstract

RODRIGUEZ-MUNOZ, Gregoria et al. Traditional knowledge, access, use and transformation of wild edible fungi in Santa Catarina del Monte, Estado de México. agric. soc. desarro [online]. 2012, vol.9, n.2, pp.191-207. ISSN 1870-5472.

In this article, we describe the traditional knowledge of men and women who collect and sell wild fungi in Santa Catarina del monte, Estado de México. This knowledge is culturally constructed and contributes to family diet, as well as constituting economic earnings for those who gather these products. Residents understand about collection seasons and places where they are produced; they can differentiate between edible and poisonous species, which they use and transform. This knowledge has been preserved because the use of wild plants, in general, and of fungi in particular, for food is a traditional practice that has always accompanied communities that reside near forests, and subsistence agriculture.

Keywords : diet; wild fungi; traditional practices; gathering.