Harnessing the potential of underutilized root tubers in Benguet Province, Luzon, Philippines, as a substitute for wheat flour to enhance food security
2013
Balangcod, T.D. | Vallejo, V.L.
In developing countries, like the Philippines, providing safe and nutritious food that can be derived from underutilized plants is a big challenge. With the increasing price of imported basic commodities, many people cannot afford the basic foods such as flour. In this study flour was produced from four underutilized root tubers in Benguet province, namely gabi (Colocasia esculenta), galiang or wild gabi (Xanthosoma saggitifolia), ube or yam (Dioscorea alata), and camote (Ipomoea batatas). The root tubers were obtained from the market, cleaned, sorted, sliced and dried using a combination of sun drying and oven drying. Flour was produced by grinding using a food processor. Ash and moisture content of the flour from the four tubers were analyzed using gravimetric and forced draft oven method, respectively. Xanthosoma saggitifolia which grows in the wild gave the highest ash content (4.19%). This reveals that the wild gabi or commonly called galiang contains a relatively high amount of mineral, yet the tubers are usually fed to hogs. Flour can be produced from tubers; however, in Benguet province, Philippines, most indigenous communities lack the technical knowledge of how to produce flour from available plants, especially the underutilized ones. If developed further, the four tubers, especially galiang, can help solve the carbohydrate need of indigenous communities in Benguet province, particularly in times of rice shortage.
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