Ure (Colocasia esculenta-Araceae): An Edible Aroid of the Warao

Abstract

The Warao are the original inhabitants of the Orinoco Delta and the second largest indigenous group in Venezuela. The relatively recent transformation of the Winikina Warao sub-tribe from semi-nomadic swamp foragers to swidden-fallow agriculturists has led them to forsake traditional sustenance foods such as yuruma (palm starch from Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) for various introduced crops such as the tuber ure (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott). This paper describes the origins and taxonomy of ure including its secondary metabolites and uses, a description of swidden (daukaba) selection and preparation, and planting, harvesting, and consumption of ure by the Winikina Warao. It closes with a brief discussion of the impact of ure cultivation on the contemporary Winikina Warao.