Palm sago : a tropical starch from marginal lands

Abstract

This book takes a multidisciplinary and multicultural approach to studying the relationship between human societies and food- yielding tropical palms. A joint effort of four people whose special ties complement each other, it provides a broad and thorough examination of palm sago, a starch that has potential for small-scale, low-cost development in marginal areas of the tropics. Information on the extraction and production of palm sago in insular and mainland Southeast Asia, the tropical Americas, Melanesia, South China, and South Asia is presented here. More than an ethnobotanical monograph, this study places palm sago and its use within the relevant historical, technological, nutritional, commercial, and ritual context. Well-illustrated and drawing together a broad spectrum of information, this study provides the depth of knowledge of man/plant relationship needed to plan the rational development of tropical swamp environments. Academics and professionals in many fields will find this book of interest. Show more