pubescens) were eaten directly, astringent and bitter acorns (i.e., fruits with a high tannin content, such as Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) were processed through heating, leaching or complex detoxification techniques involving the use of clay.

While sweet acorns (e.g., Quercus pubescens Willd.

Rural populations used to collect and eat acorns from different Quercus species. While often perceived as animal feed, with herds of livestock pigs being released into oak forests to browse for acorns (a widespread practice referred to as pannage, acorns represented an important part of both the gastronomical and medical folklore of various regions of North America, Europe, North Africa, the Near East and Central Asia, as indicated by a wealth of ethnoarchaeobotanical and historical evidence. From early prehistory onwards, the fruits of different species belonging to this genus were part of the traditional livelihoods and foodscapes of communities worldwide. (family Fagaceae) is an important genus consisting of both evergreen and deciduous trees that occur in both temperate and tropical climatic zones. Furthermore, reassessing acorns as a foodstuff may aid in developing innovative products in line with emerging trends in the food sector, which is looking for new non-cereal-based bakery products and other novel culinary applications. This could help to reinforce the resilience of local communities and thus increase food security.

By acknowledging the cultural importance of acorn fruits and acorn-based products, this study suggests that the rediscovery of acorn-based products and associated traditional knowledge may foster the sustainable development of rural and marginal regions in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Central Asia. By exploring the evolution of the alimentary role of acorn bread in the past century, our findings also support the hypothesis that the product, at least during the last two centuries, has mostly been used as a famine food. The analysis highlighted distinct trajectories in the development of acorn-based bread, showing some differences in terms of ingredients, preparation techniques and baking methods in the two cultural and geographical macro-regions. A qualitative comparative case method was adopted, and ethnographic data were gathered from 67 people in six selected Mediterranean, Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. This article aims to contribute to the limited literature on traditional gastronomic knowledge concerning acorn-based bread by ethnographically documenting the ingredients, preparation techniques and consumption practices of baked goods made from acorn seeds and flour that are still used today or at least still present in living memory. Hussain, 6 Abdullah Faiz, Investigation, 1, 14 Antonella Pasqualone, Writing – review & editing, 15 Frits Heinrich, Investigation, Writing – review & editing, 16, 17 Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco, Visualization, Writing – review & editing, 1, 18 and Andrea Pieroni, Conceptualization, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing 1, 6 Ahmed, Investigation, 9, 10 Tola Abdulsattar Faraj, Investigation, 6, 11 Hawraz Ibrahim M. Dauro Mattia Zocchi, Conceptualization, Methodology, Project administration, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, 1, * Camilla Bondioli, Investigation, 1 Seyed Hamzeh Hosseini, Investigation, 2 Mohamed Djamel Miara, Investigation, 3 Carmelo Maria Musarella, Investigation, Writing – review & editing, 4 Datis Mohammadi, Investigation, 1 Ajmal Khan Manduzai, Investigation, 5 Kovan Dilawer Issa, Investigation, 6 Naji Sulaiman, Investigation, 7 Chadi Khatib, Investigation, 8 Hiwa M.

Acorn drawing science