African locust bean
A tropical and subtropical tree of lowland rainforests. It grows in Africa in forests near streams. It occurs in subhumid and humid places with a rainfall between 950 and 1750 mm annually. It grows between 250-1,500 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Also known as:
Durumi, Iseha, M'kundi, Micunti, Mkunde, Mkundi, Mnienzi, Mnyesa, Mucunti, Mucuti, Muindi, Musyepwa, Mwensa, Nkundi, Skapya
Synonyms
- Parkia hildebrandtii Harms
- Parkia busei Harms
Edible Portion
- Seeds, Pulp of pod, Leaves, Nectar, Vegetable
Where does African locust bean grow?
Found in: Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: 26% protein in seeds. Rich in calcium, Also as Mimosaceae.
Growing African locust bean
Cultivation: Plants can be grown from seed. To extract the seed the pod is crushed then the seed removed from the pulp. Before sowing the seed they should be boiled briefly then alowed to cool and soaked for 12 hours.
Edible Uses: The pods are eaten cooked. The pulp in the pods is eaten. The seeds are boiled and fermented then eaten. This has a strong smell but is removed by frying or roasting. The seeds can also be powdered and used for flavouring soups and rice dishes. The leaves are cooked as used as a vegetable. The seeds are pressed for cooking oil.
Production: In Tanzania mature fruit are collected from January to April.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds dried | 426 | 32.3 | 33.2 | - | 6 | - | 7 |
| Fruit | 303 | 3.4 | 3.6 | - | - | - | 13.2 |
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