Anthropology
Open Access

Abstract

Ethnobotany of Colorant Plants in Ethnic Communities in NorthernVietnam

Ngoc Anh Luu Dam, Ban K Ninh and Yoshinori Sumimura

Vietnam is the tropical country, which includes 12,000 flowering plant species in its flora. And Vietnam is a homeland of 54 ethnic minorities with a broad range of experience in using plants for dyeing, especially for food.As a result 43 species belonging to 24 families giving a dye for food were identified. Ethnic people have abundant knowledge in using plants for dyeing food such as processing, preparation, mixing plants to require colors. In the framework of this study, we report on the traditional colorant species in Northern Vietnam and the value of indigenous knowledge in processing and blending plants to achieve required colors.