Dila, Aisen

Where does Dila grow?

Found in: Africa, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, West Africa, Zambia

Notes: Chemical composition (after Berry-Koch) (g/mg/mcg per 100g) (dried): Protein = 21g. Fat = 1.6g. Calcium = 123 mg. Fe = 6.8 mg. Beta carotene = 165 mcg Vitamin B1 = .02 mg. Vitamin B2 = .03 mg. Niacin = 8.8 mg. Vitamin C = 5 mg. Kcal = 341; (cooked): Protein = 5.4g. Fat = 0.2g. Calcium = 33 mg. Fe = 2.8 mg. Beta carotene = 25 mcg. Vitamin B1 = .01 mg. Kcal = 92. (after Abdelmuti) (un- debittered): Protein (crude) = 29.3%. Oil = 0.7%. Ash = 3.5%. Fibre (crude) = 2.7%. Carbohydrate (soluble) (starch) = 39.5%; (sugars): Sucrose = 4.3%. D-glucose = 0.2%. D-fructose = 0.7%. Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 7.7g. Threonine = 1.7g. Serine = 2.3g. Glutamic acid = 9.0g. Proline = 6.5g. Glycine = 3.5g. Alanine = 3.2g. Valine = 4.5g. Cysteine (performic acid oxidation) = 1.3g. Methionine (performic acid oxidation) = 1.8g. Isoleucine = 2.9g. Leucine = 7.0g. Tyrosine = 2.3g. Histidine = 1.3g. Lysine = 1.5g. Arginine = 15.1g. Minerals: Sulphur = 2.20 mg/kg-1 (dry). Potassium = 0.15%-1 (dry). Magnesium = 0.10% (dry). Calcium = 0.14% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.03 mg/kg-% (dry). Zinc = 42 mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 10.5 mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 17 mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 8 mg/kg-1 (dry). There are 37 Boscia species.

Status: In the Sudan and Mali the plant is an important food. It is a staple food during famines.

Growing Dila, Aisen

Cultivation: Plants are mostly self sown from seed. They can also be grown from stem cuttings.

Edible Uses: The outer flesh of the berries is eaten while they are young. The seeds are used as a famine food in emergencies. They need to be treated. (They are soaked for several hours with several changes of water. The seeds are then boiled with potash then soaked in cold water. ) The roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute. The leaves are sometimes eaten after crushing in water, drying then reduced to a powder and cooking.

Production: Flowering occurs in the cool dry season. Fruit ripen at the beginning of the rainy season.

Nutrition Info

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