Food plants used in traditional fermented milk products and dishes of the Sakha people

Historically, the Sakha people used plants in large quantities in their daily diet. According  to A. Savvin’s list, there are 76 species of wild food plants used, representing 4% of the flora of Yakutia. However, 11 of these species remain unresolved and are exclusively referenced  by Yakut names. Based on preliminary assessment, the plant kus tyla from this list has been identified as Lemna trisulca and the Lemnaceae family. A. Savvin’s list indicates that 59 species, representing 42 genera and 23 families, were used by Sakha people in fermented milk products  and dishes. The families Rosaceae (7), Polygonaceae (6), Alliaceae (4), Ericaceae (4), and  Asteraceae (4) are the most prominent in the dataset. The biomorphological spectrum of these 59 plant species includes 3 tree species, 9 shrubs species, and 3 dwarf shrub species, with the remaining species classified as perennial herbaceous plants. To continue research on food  plants, the species list has to be consistent with modern scientific classification. This study  identified 15 species, with 4 species reclassified to the level of genera. The identification  of certain species, including Saussurea amara, Rheum rhaponticum, and Allium senescens,  involved a comparative analysis of data from other sources. Traditionally, the Sakha people  prepared diverse fermented milk products and dishes with the addition of plant ingredients, including leaves, roots and berries. Fermented milk soups, such as ас and үөрэ, exhibited the greatest botanical diversity, with up to 35 plant species were used in preparation. The sweet taste  of the dishes kyobyuyor, dagda, kyuorchekh was given by the roots and berries of plants.

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