Page 46 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 24
P. 46
Food health
nuts are valued foodstuffs, eaten often called Natal plums. Their Seemingly, its home territories
fresh, fermented, or roasted like thin red skin covers a pinkish- could make much more of this
peanuts. They are rich in both red, almost mealy, flesh that is strange comestible, not only
food energy and quality protein. flecked with a milky juice. as a dessert fruit but also as a
vegetable like cucumber.
3. Butterfruit (safou, bush Flavour varies from tart to
mango) more or less sweet, depending 6. Kei Apple
Butterfruit (Dacryodes edulis, upon variety and maturity. The shrubby plant known
Burseraceae) may be unknown Even though production is botanically as Dovyalis caffra
to the world, but in Central Africa now haphazard and essentially (Flacourtiaceae) produces
and neighbouring sections of unsupported by the muscle of fruits that resemble little
West Africa, this small tree is modern knowledge, carissa golden apples. Indigenous
an almost universal component promises to become a much to the southern zone—
of traditional farming. greater crop. Even in its present including Malawi, Zimbabwe,
Throughout this broad tropical form, this fruit has an ample Mozambique, and South
belt, it contributes importantly edible portion and, having no Africa—it becomes bespangled
to nutrition and farmer income. stone in the centre, it can be with fruits whose thin, tough
Like tomato or eggplant, eaten whole. These versatile skin shelters a yellow, melting,
the fruit is mainly used as a foodstuffs make tasty jams, juicy pulp with a lively aroma.
vegetable. It has a pleasant jellies, and drinks as well as
smell and attractive appearance attractive highlights in salads 7. Marula
and is extremely high in food and desserts of all kinds. Some Marula (Sclerocarya birrea,
energy. Indeed, up to two-thirds taste like raspberry; most, Anacardiaceae) is prized for its
of the pulp comprises an oil of though, are as tart as cranberry. fruits as well as its seeds. Both
very desirable composition. are in high demand from Cape
In addition, the pulp is one of 5. Horned Melon Verde to the Cape of Good Hope.
the best protein sources to be A spiky orange oddity crammed In some societies, the tree ranks
found in the world of fruits. with green jelly and white seeds, as a major food supplier. The
About a quarter of the dry pulp the horned melon (Cucumis plum-sized fruits have a thick
is protein, and it is of superior metulifer, Cucurbitaceae) has yellow peel and translucent
nutritional quality. To top all gone global in recent decades; white flesh. They can be eaten
that, butterfruit provides notable New Zealand, Israel, and Kenya fresh but most are processed
dietary minerals. are among countries shipping into things such as beverages,
it around the world. Back in its jams, and jellies. Although the
4. Carissa native habitat, southern Africa, succulent pulp has a unique
Carissa (Carissa macrocarpa, the plant is little used, but in flavour, writers struggling
Apocynaceae), from South a few places—Malawi, for for a frame of reference have
Africa and Mozambique, yields instance—people grow it for variously likened it to litchi,
masses of shiny fruits that are sale in the local food markets. apple, guava, or pineapple.
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