Huet and colleagues studied how North African women in Marseille use medicinal plants to maintain their cultural identity. They found that traditional plant knowledge remains strong, with herbs and spices serving as tangible links to home.
The most important finding reveals that mint and olive oil act as cultural keystones for Maghrebi women. These plants carry deep symbolic meaning, connecting migrants to family traditions and regional identity. One participant noted: “Mint is our ethos, we wake up with it, we sleep with it.”
Researchers conducted interviews and workshops with 24 women, mostly of Algerian origin. They documented 131 plant species used for culinary, medicinal, and ritual purposes. Knowledge is primarily passed down through female family members.
Previous studies show migrants often struggle to source familiar plants. However, Marseille’s Mediterranean climate and well-established North African community facilitate access. Women obtain plants through local shops, family networks, foraging, and community gardens.
The importance of spices in Maghrebi and Mediterranean cultures is potentially linked to the historical importance of transcontinental trading of aromatic plants, and we found that indeed specialized local traders are the primary source of plants for our participants.
Huet, M., Odonne, G., Baghdikian, B., & Teixidor-Toneu, I. (2024). Knowledge and Access to Medicinal and Aromatic Plants by Women from the Maghrebi Diaspora in Marseille. Human Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-024-00533-1 ($)
ReadCube: https://rdcu.be/dSJmn
