| Original Message: Egusi anyone |
|---|
|
When i first got to Benin I heard talk of sesame seeds. I assumed these were the seeds I was familiar with on my bagel. They were used in many traditional foods and carried religious significance. I actually learned however upon seeing them that they were melon seeds of what they called egusi:closely resembling pumpkin seeds. They are from a perfectly round watermelon with light green exterior and white interior which has a bland flavor. This species is believed to be the origin of watermelons also called the tsamma (originating in the kalahari desert) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citron_melon Other important cultural foods include ignames---> likely the origin of the term yam in America, but it is not of the same species (although people seem to get this wrong ALL the time). Much larger and more fibourous it is pounded into a ball of dough like substance called pile and eaten with numerous sauces. It is pure white inside with no orange or yellow color. The exterior reminds me much more of manioc then yams. There is also a sweeter variety which has purple veins of color throughout the igname which reminds me of taro (they also have taro aka cocoyam). http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinebouard/437305660/ Gumbo--> or what we call Okra (and the likely source for the name of the southern soup dish). Used in sauces. peanuts, bambara groundnut, and African locust bean are also native. All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
|
|