Collection, cultivation and processing of medical plants, herbs and spices in the Balaton Ecomuseum – herbal medicine as intangible cultural heritage

Summary

This paper presents the development of a Herbs and Spices Network within the Balaton Ecomuseum in Hungary, centred on the Zánka Herb Valley Visitor and Training Centre. The work documents the collection, cultivation and processing of medicinal plants and herbs in the region, framing herbal medicine as intangible cultural heritage with historical roots and contemporary relevance. The initiative employs experiential learning approaches to preserve and transmit traditional herbal knowledge whilst investigating the under-recognised medical and nutritional properties of agricultural crops including grapevine and other fruits and vegetables.

Regional applicability

This Hungarian case study describes a regional ecomuseum model that may be transferable to United Kingdom contexts where there is interest in preserving traditional herbal and culinary plant knowledge as part of cultural heritage. However, the specific plant species, climate and cultural traditions described are regionally specific; UK application would require adaptation to local endemic and historically-cultivated medicinal plants and existing heritage frameworks.

Key measures

Documentation of 30 most collected herb species; description of cultivation and processing methods; integration into ecomuseum network system

Outcomes reported

The study describes the establishment of a Herbs and Spices Network within the Balaton Ecomuseum, documenting the cultivation and processing of 30 collected medicinal plant species in the region and their integration into cultural heritage preservation. It demonstrates a learning-by-doing approach to interactive education and cultural transmission of herbal medicine knowledge across generations.

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