Composition of Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii and Traditional Derived Dried Foods of the Ainu

• Published in: Eiyōgaku zasshi Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 303 - 306
• Main Authors: Ishii, Satomi, Shiozaki, Miho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Japanese Society of Nutrition and Dietetics 2004
• Subjects: Ainu; Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii; composition; fiber; starch
• ISSN: 0021-5147; 1883-7921
• DOI: 10.5264/eiyogakuzashi.62.303

The Ainu are indigenous people of Japan who have mainly resided in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions. They have traditionally obtained starch and onturep from roots of the lily (Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii) which is thought to have been their main edible plant for use as a food and medicine. We prepared starch and onturep in this study and analyzed their compositions. Starch was extracted from roots of the lily, and the remaining root materials were fermented, dried, and made into onturep. They had a high carbohydrate content. Onturep was made into gruel, the energy of the gruel for one meal being calculated to be about 240kcal. The Ainu have traditionally made dried foods high in energy level and fiber content by using starch extracted from the roots and the remaining root materials. The consumption of these dried foods has enabled the Ainu to maintain a stable and nutritious diet.