Gathering

Wild tubers

Wild tubers are a significant component of the diet in many Mikea communities.

The most important tubers for food are ovy and balo, which may be two varieties of the same species (Dioscorea acuminata). Balo grows in sandier soil and is said to be less filling than ovy. Moke (species unidentified) are small and mealy, but grow in soil too sandy even for balo.

Babo (Dioscorea bemandry) is 98% water; it has a texture like ripe watermelon, and is consumed to quench thirst. Babo is the major source of drinking water in some forest settlements. Mikea rarely forage for ba and kapoake (species unidentified) perhaps because they are fiberous and have little food value.

People of all ages, male and female, dig wild ovy tubers. Children forage in groups with other children, and despite a lot of playing around (I once saw a wild tuber "food fight"), children are highly productive, harvesting on average 500 net kcal / hr. Adolescents and adults harvest tubers at similar rates (1000 - 2400 net kcal/hr).

Wild cucurbits (melons and squashes)

During the rainy season (Dec-Feb), there are no tubers to eat. People turn to wild cucurbits, such as Citrullus vulgaris (right).

Wild melon and squash vines blanket all the clearings, especially old agricultural fields, once the rains have started. Melons are plentiful and extremely easy to gather. However, melons don't make a very good meal, being mostly water. Dozens of melons must be boiled down into a thick paste. This is considered a hardship food.

Honey

Honey is a valuable resource for many reasons. It has cultural and symbolic significance for people throughout Madagascar. It is a high-energy, flavorful food. It is also highly valued in the market; Mikea sell it to Masikoro and Vezo for a high price. Honey is the main ingredient in a traditional alcoholic beverage called toadoto.

Some Mikea keep their own hives, while others search for wild hives within the forest.

Wild fruits

Four wild fruits are particularly useful for Mikea. Two are pictured here: to the left is lamoty or governor's plum (Flacourtia indica), which tastes almost like a cherry. To the right is baobab fruit or voandrenala (Andansonia sp). The other two important fruits are two varieties of jujube. The konazy (Ziziphus mauritana) is larger than the tsinefo (Z. vulgaris).

Silk

Commercial harvesting of cocoons to make silk was a significant activity for Mikea during the 1920s. Buyers from the capital (Antananarivo) set up camps in the forest where they purchased silk from Mikea.

The right kind of cocoon for silk had not been seen in any quantities for decades. Then, in 2004, the cocoons returned, and so did the silk buyers. Collecting wild silk is again a major cash-earning activity.