Nutritional content evaluation of traditional food recipes consumed by ethnic communities of Tai Dam in Loei, Thailand

Abstract

The results showed that the traditional food of the Tai Dam ethnicity had a unique identity. There were 30 recipes divided into six categories: curry, grilled food, spicy salad, Homok, chili paste, and dessert. There were 4-5 recipes in 1 deck (a set menu of food put on a big container like a tray), with sticky rice as the primary food. Eighty percent of the food ingredients were local herb and vegetable sources, and the other 20 percent comprised meat, fish, chickens, eggs, insects, and small animals. Distinctive features of curry dishes include a variety of herbs. Nutritional content analysis resulted in recipes with the highest energy and nutrients in 3 or more aspects in each category; “Sua Pla Duk” or Catfish Spicy Curry with the energy of 166.17 kcal, 10.53 g fat, and 12.01 g protein. “Oh Pla” provides the energy of 136.11 kcal, 3.68 g fat, and 18.73 g protein, and “Ua Dok Mak-Uk” provided 6.68 grams of carbohydrates, 38.11 RAE, vitamin A, 13.14 milligrams of vitamin C, and 0.72 grams of dietary fibres. The findings revealed that the Tai Dam recipe had a high overall nutritional content, suitable for eating as an immune-boosting drug for a healthy life, preventing emerging diseases, and the environmental community should preserve to obtain high-value food.