Quelites Pasados of the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico: An Interdisciplinary Ethnobotanical Study of Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables have been a part of human diets throughout human history. Globally, they are gaining recognition since these wild foods could play an important role in food security. Quelites (the Mexican term for these resources) are dehydrated to produce “quelites pasados” by the Rarámuri in anticipation of the scarcity of food in winter. The diversity of quelites in the state of Chihuahua includes species of the widely consumed Amaranthus , as well as endemic, native, and introduced species that are eaten locally. The present work generated nutritional, sensory, and molecular information on four species that are consumed in the Sierra Tarahumara: Amaranthus palmeri , Amaranthus powellii , Arracacia edulis , and Phacelia platycarpa . Their nutritional analysis exhibited high protein values and a significant concentration of macro- and micronutrients. The acceptance by the public of the species of Amaranthus was high, while that of Arracacia edulis and Phacelia platycarpa was lower. Because of the morphological similarity within the two pairs of quelites, their DNA barcodes were generated as an identification tool which, together with the nutritional and sensory results, provides added value to the four “quelites pasados” of the Sierra Tarahumara. This study could be considered a starting point for sustainable use of native vegetables in future economic programs of regional agrobiodiversity, and even replicated globally.