Acceptance of Triticale into the Food Culture by the Gamo Highlanders in Southern Ethiopia

抄録

This study describes the utilization of triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) by the Gamo Highlanders of southern Ethiopia and identifies the factors that have contributed to its acceptance. Triticale is an intergeneric hybrid of wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale cereale) that was introduced in the Gamo Highlands in the 1970s. The Gamo Highlanders living in this cold and high-altitude area cultivated triticale along with pre-existing crops such as, wheat (Triticum spp.), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and enset (Ensete ventricosum). Local inhabitants highly value triticale because its yields are higher than those of barley and wheat, with a limited labor force. The inhabitants use triticale to make a broad range of dishes; of the 13 dishes made with cereals, 12 can be made with triticale alone or with it combined with other cereals. Triticale can also be used as a supplementary ingredient for making an indigenous flatbread, known as injera, which is served on special occasions. Injera is originally prepared using teff (Eragrostis tef), a crop of Ethiopian origin; however, the land was unsuitable for teff cultivation. Triticale was accepted into the foodway by the Gamo Highlanders because of its agronomic traits, and the fact that it could be used for making injera also significantly contributed to its acceptance. Furthermore, pre-existing cooking methods in the area for wheat and barley before the introduction of triticale also contributed towards the acceptance of triticale.