Unveiling the Food Heritage: Traditional Food Systems and Transitions in Malamuthan Community

Abstract

Traditional food systems in tribal communities are extremely important because of their intricate links with cultural identity, environmental harmony, and social cohesion. Malamuthan, an ethnic group, whose food traditions have not been thoroughly recorded, face the impending loss of both their rich cultural heritage and traditional foodways. This study investigates the traditional food heritage of Malamuthan community, highlighting their crucial role in maintaining social cohesion, ecological connectivity, and cultural identity. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, participant observation, and in-depth unstructured interviews, the study offers an in-depth insight into how these food systems operate in their daily life and collective memory. It examines how these systems are evolving as a result of historical upheavals, government welfare schemes, and the Public Distribution System, rather than just modernization. Through the use of dietary intake charts and conducting comparative analyses of past and present food patterns, the research underscores important food transitions and the emergence of new reliance on external food supplies. It has been demonstrated that these changes impact not only health and nutrition, but also cultural continuity and community resilience. In light of these findings, the study proposes a framework for culturally aware policy that recognises the unique food heritage of the Malamuthan community. It advocates for development approaches that honor indigenous knowledge systems and work to safeguard culinary traditions, ecological sustainability, and the community’s broader social fabric.