Chapter 3 GLOSSARY OF VEGETABLES,.FRUIT AND FISH.

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Abbreviations: M = Mandinka; W = Wolof Superscripts give the reference numbers.

LEAF VEGETABLES.

See also njengo (No. 25) and patat (No. 33).

1. Bentango, Bantango (M)18 Bentenki (W)18.

White flowered silk-cotton tree Ceiba pentandra Gaertn. 12 The tree is best known for its great size, buttress roots and kapoklike cotton that is collected for stuffing pillows. The palmate leaves are used occasionally instead of baobab leaves in futo and in soup as a leaf vegetable. Available December, January and February.

2. Bologi (W, Aku) Hop (W).

Scientific name unknown A fleshy herb with pink flowers sold only in markets at the coast. It is slimy when cooked and used in plasas and fufu. Usually eaten by Akus.

3. Bologi (W) Boronoro (M)12 A type of spinach.

A climbing herb with triangular (ivy shaped) leaves which are slimy when cooked and used in plasas as above. Sold in markets in Banjul and eaten only at the coast.

4. Bunbango(M).

Scientific name unknown.

The leaves are used in sauces at the end of the dry season and the beginning of the wet. They.

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are also added to futo to make it slippery as an alternative to baobab.

5. Bungkungo, Bunkungo (M)18 Kattupa (W)18.

Red flowered silk-cotton tree Bombax buonopozense P. Beaux This tree is not so large as the white silk-cotton and has large spines on the trunk. The palmate leaves are dried and pounded and occasionally used instead of baobab leaves in futo. Available during the rains, in August and September, before the sun has dried the baobab leaves sufficiently for use. The flower calyxes may also be used in futo.

6. Domoda, Dawonjo, Kucha, Kutcha (M)18 Sour-sour (Aku) Bisab (W).

Red sorrel, sour leaves Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. 12 A short hibiscus-like herb that grows wild and withstands dry conditions. It is cultivated in watered vegetable gardens in the dry season and is sold in markets practically throughout the year. The leaves are used fresh in groundnut sauces (tia durango, but not kulango) and are often used as a sauce alone (domoda, kucha durango) in the wet season, from August to November, but especially in October. It has a sour taste.

The flowers, available in July and August, are used fresh or dried (sungufu-bisab (W), shakpu seeds (Aku, English)) to flavour groundnut sauce and plasas in the absence of other vegetables. Groundnut sauce containing the flowers is called domoda wonjo (W). The flowers are also used to make a drink. The seeds.

are pounded into meal and used instead of tulingo occasionally.

7. Jambanduro, Jamakassala, Fantano (M), Nduro, Ndour mbundur, Mboum ndure, Dore (W).

A herb that flourishes in the wild during the wet season, from June to October. The leaves are similar to those of the groundnut but the.

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plant grows to about 1 metre. The fresh leaves are eaten in jambo with groundnuts or alone. They are used mostly in the provinces.

8. Jambo (M) Mboom (W) Sou.

Lettuce.

Cabbage.

The term jambo (leaf) is used in fact for any green leaf vegetable introduced from elsewhere and to the leaf of any indigenous plant. The term is also used for leaf sauces (see p. 18). So jambo includes any of the brassicas and lettuce. Lettuce is grown at the coast and elsewhere in watered vegetable gardens and eaten in plasas and as salad. Cabbage is imported and usually available in coastal markets and is also grown in watered vegetable gardens. It maybe used in dishes with groundnuts, meat or chicken, but not goat or fish. It is commonly used (quartered) with benechin.

9. Keren-kerengo (M) Kereng-kereng, Krain-krain (W, Aku) Kenkerin, Kiriiikirin (Sierra Leone) Crain-cray Mbali (W) Bush okra (Sierra Leone) Corchorus olitorius LinnA herb with a light coloured leaf with a protruding hair at the end, and deeply serrated. When cooked it is slimy and used in plasas but never in groundnut sauces. It may be used in a sauce by itself or with okra (soupa kanja (W)). It has an acid taste like domoda. It is seen only in markets in Banjul, but is said to grow wild in some parts. It is eaten dried or fresh, often with futo.

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10. Lulu (M).

Loofah vine Luffa acutangula Roxb. or Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. or

Luffa cylindrica Lout. 23.

In some areas the leaves of the loofah are used in sauces, e.g. j amba lulu; elsewhere in Africa the young fruits are used in groundnut sauces 23.

11. Morongo, Marango, Beremba (M) Boroboro (W) Mboum, Green (Aku).

Bush greens, amaranthus spinach Amaranthus caudatus Linn. Wild or green amaranth Amaranthus viridis Linn. Spiny or prickly amaranth, spiny pigweed, Chinese spinach.

Amaranthus spinosus Linn.

A plant widely known in Africa. The leaves, which taste agreeably.

like spinach beet (Beta vulgaris) but with no metallic after-taste, are used in plasas at the coast, and in groundnut sauces. In the provinces it is not well known. It is available all year round as it is cultivated in watered vegetable gardens, but especially at the end of the wet season.

12. Naa (M) Lalo (W).

Baobab, cream of tartar tree.

An important leaf which is widely used. The young palmate leaves.

are gathered and dried in the sun and stored for use in futo and nyelengo.

They are also used dry and fresh in.

sauces such as tia durango and bukolo which they are said to thicken. They are also made into a sauce on their own (na durango/nada). These leaves are an important source of calcium. (See also No. 69 for baobab fruit).

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13. Nebedayo (M, W) Never-die (W, Aku)

Never-die, horse-radish tree.

Moringa oleifera (pterygosperma Gaertn.).

The attractive leaves of this white flowered tree are used in sauces throughout the year, but especially in the wet season when groundnuts are scarce. The tree has conspicuously long pods and grows on any land and very rapidly. The leaves are best used in December, January and February.

14. Nyambi jambo (M).

Cassava, mandioc, manioc, Brazilian arrowroot, tapioca

Manihot esculenta (utilissima Pohl.).

The leaves are used fresh to make jambo, the water being changed three times to remove the bitterness, and are often served with rice, especially by immigrants. Wolof people use the leaves with steamed millet (cous, nyo) or in plasas or they may be used fresh with benechin or in stews. (See also No. 31 for cassava root.).

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15. Soora, Saura (M).

Variegated half-wild melon Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. This grows in dry places and has a creeping habit. The leaves are used in sauces especially in April, May and June when there is little else, and are often used with groundnuts. There is some confusion with sora (No. 16) but they apparently have separate identities.

16. Sora, Soora (M) Talal (W, Senegal).

Leptadenia lancifolia 12 Leptadenia hastata 18.

The leaves of this woody herb are eaten as soup alone or added to beans or groundnuts. They have a milky juice that may cause sneezing. They are also used to stimulate lactation. The plant has a creeping habit and tough leaves that.survive the dry season and are used mainly from July to September.

17. Suro (M) Soto (M) (W) Shoto (M) Bot or Gang (W) Koyo (M)

Ficus sycomorus (gnaphalocarpa A. Rich.).

The leaves are eaten in jambo at the end of the dry and during the beginning of the wet season (July and August) and used with futo and occasionally rice. The leaves are hard after boiling so they may be removed and the infusion used to `water down' futo. As soon as jambanduro (see No. 7) is available it is used in preference to suro.

18. Other leaves 9.

Chopotiro .. July-September

Da-koi-tulo August.

Foro muso bulo kandingo. July-November

Tio (groundnut) July

Ijankanai July-September

Kala. June-September.

Kamfalo. September.

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Musukafokilo July

Malabulo June-August.

Ndinking dankang July-September

Nyinkankelo June-August

Pura jamba ba July-November.

Patato (sweet potato) see No. 33

Timbingo. see No. 75.

`FRUIT' VEGETABLES.

19. Jabo, Jubo (M) Linyong (W).

Onion Allium cepa Linn. Locally two types are distinguished, Tubab jabo and Mandingo jabo. The latter is smaller and said to be like garlic. Onions are used especially with meat in stews but also in sauces such as tia durango. They are available all the year round because they can be stored, but they are more abundant in the dry season. They are cultivated in watered vegetable gardens particularly near the coast to supply the urban centres.

20. Jato, Jarto, Yako, Jakato, Jako, Jehato (M)8 Jahato (W)

Bitter tomato Solanum incanum Linn.

A common fruit vegetable in Africa, borne on a plant somewhat like.

an eggplant. The ridged fruits resemble tomatoes but are green, white, yellow or pale purple in colour. They have a very bitter flavour that complements the blandness of groundnut sauce. They are used in groundnut sauces and in benechin (W), stews (with meat) and in nyankantango. They are available all the year round, but do not grow well during the wet. season. They are available in October, November and December from unwatered gardens, and from watered gardens in the dry season. The leaves of the plant are sometimes used as a vegetable.

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21. Kanjo, Kainjor (M) (Nah (M) in Upper Gambia) Kanjo gombo,

Kanja (W).

Okra, Ladies' fingers, Gumbo Hibiscus esculentus Linn. The fruits of this `shrub-like' herb are used to give food a slippery texture. They are collected before they become stringy and are sliced and boiled in sauces, e.g. soupakanja(okra soup),tiadurango, or with sour leaves or alone. They are grown in the wet season in vegetable gardens and are reedy from about September until November. In many places they are grown all year round in watered vegetable gardens. When the fruits have been used, sometimes the dry stems are used to flavour food in times of scarcity.

22. Karno or karni, Kano (M) Kani (W).

Chilli pepper, Guinea pepper Capsicum frutescens Linn. Sweet pepper, green pepper Capsicum annuum Linn.

Chilli fruits grow well in the wet season and are available fresh from.

September to February. At the end of this period they are gathered and dried for storage. They vary considerably in their pungency, the larger varieties tending to be `sweeter', the smaller `hotter'. They are used fresh or dried to flavour practically every sauce; tia durango, kulango and jambo, also dajiwo, nyankantango, benechin and meat and fish stews. Green peppers (karni. kittingo) are also grown but less commonly and mainly at the coast in watered vegetable gardens during the dry season.

23. Mentengo (M) Mentem (W).

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. The local tomato is cherry sized (sometimes called the cherry tomato), though large varieties grow also. They are cultivated in watered vegetable gardens but do not grow well during the rains. They first ripen in November and December and are available only at this time in some areas, although elsewhere they may be available until March. They are widely used in tia durango, kulango, bukolo, nyankantango and with meat or fish, but are never eaten raw. When fresh tomatoes are not available, tomato paste may be used instead.

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24.Mirango (M).

Bottle gourd, calabash. Lagenaria siceraria.

This. Is not often used as a fruit but is usually dried to make bowls and ladles (see Appendix 1). The leaves are used in soup.

25. Njengo (M), Banga (W).

Duchesne winter squash Cucurbita maxima Vegetable marrow, pumpkin gourd Cucurbita pepo Linn.

A creeper thriving in dry conditions. The leaves are occasionally used in jambo and the young fruits in futo. The mature squash is.

gathered and stored and, when needed, peeled and boiled. It may be used to make njeng dajiwo or mirango dajiwo (called this because it is pounded in a calabash (mirango) after boiling). Whole slices of the cooked pumpkin fruit are often served with benechin, or may be boiled in stews with meat.

or fish. Fresh fruits are first available at the beginning of the dry season, October to December. The seeds (njeng kulo) are not usually eaten except by children. The flowers can be eaten but are not usually in The Gambia.

Cucumbers (Cucumus sativus) are cultivated at the coast for a very limited market. A short smooth variety is more common than the large prickly varieties, but all are badly affected by insects.

26. Patanseo, Patansi jato, Tubab jato (M) Betanse and Jublox (Aku, W) Batanse diakhatu (W) Jackatoo (Aku).

Egg plant, garden egg, brinjal, aubergine. Solanum melongena Linn. The fruit, which is smooth-skinned and purple or purple and green in colour, is used sliced in stews or cut into large pieces after peeling.

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as the skin gives a bitter taste, and served with benechin. It is eaten mainly at the coast, though some people cultivate it in vegetable gardens inland.

ROOT AND STEM VEGETABLES.

27. Dandandingo, Dandingo (M).

A type of yam Dioscorea alata Linn. or Dioscorea anthropophagorum A. Chev. An introduced climbing yam that grows wild but is also cultivated. The yam grows from the stem and is brown and angular in shape. It is boiled, steamed or fried like potato and eaten with benechin or meat stew, but not groundnuts. It is available in November. Some varieties are said to be poisonous.

28. Jabero (M) Jabere (F) Oosoo Yabere (Sierra Leone).

Coco yam, eddoes Colocasia esculenta This yam has shorter and thicker stems than wula-kono-nyambo (No. 35) and a larger root, and is grown particularly by Fula people in the Upper River Division. It may be fried or boiled and eaten with stew or benechin but not groundnuts.

29. Kalantango (M)18 Kape (F)18.

Wild edible yam Dioscorea sp. 18.

30. Kunyambo, Tubab nyambo (M) Nyambaba (W).

Local `cassava' or Potato yam Dioscorea bulbifera An introduced plant that has escaped. It is not a cassava but a larger yam than wula-kono-nyambo (No. 35) with both underground and aerial tubers. It is gathered from the bush in times of scarcity and sometimes planted in vegetable gardens during the wet season. It is reedy from October onwards. It is eaten boiled with salt.

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31.Nyambo, Mandioka banta nyambo, Bantang nyambo (M) Nyambi(W).

Cassava, mandioc, manioc, Brazilian arrowroot, tapioca

Manihot esculenta (utilissima Pohl.) Both the root and the leaves (see No. 14) are used. The root is peeled and boiled with salt or pounded and made into cassava mono. It may also be dried, peeled, split and stored. When needed, it is pounded into flour and steamed (fufu (W), nyambi nyelengo) or boiled (nyambi mono). Children may be weaned on to the mono and they may eat dry cassava between meals, particularly just before and during the rainy season when cereals are in short supply. Cassava flour may be added to wheat flour to make breed. The poisonous variety is not common in The Gambia, but some cyogenic prussic acid is in the outer layers of the peel even of the sweetest varieties. Three varieties are recognised, having different names and uses:.

Mandinka - used for fufu (soft variety)

Banta nyambo fingo (black variety)

Banta nyambo koyo ( white variety).

32. Nyameo (M) Guiyar (W)5.

Ginger Zingiber officinale Rosc. This root is imported and sold in Banjul market. Mainly used byAku people for `sweets'.

33. Patat, Patato, (M)9 Pata, Patat (W).

Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas Polr. Both the roots and the leaves are eaten, mainly at the coast but also inland. The root is boiled and eaten with benechin or groundnut sauce or may be sliced and fried or boiled and it is sometimes eaten with rice. Occasionally it is eaten raw. It is reedy in early November and December, but is not grown in sufficient quantity for widespreed storage. The leaves are used mainly in the coastal region in groundnut sauces.

34. Pomdeteru (M, W) Pompytero (M).

Irish potato Solanum tuberosum Linn. Potatoes are sold in the main coastal markets and often reach very high prices. They are rarely sold inland.

35. Wulakono nyambo, Nyamba meseng, Kungambo (M)

Bush yam, bush cassava, forest yam, white yam, small yam.

Dioscorea praehensilis Benth. An indigenous climber with an underground root which is harvested from July to October, when there are shortages of other food. The.

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tubers are cooked in their skins and peeled after cooking (cf. Jabero No. 28 and Kunyambo No. 30). It is sometimes eaten as a snack food.

36. Wusu (M).

Coleus esculentus 10 Coleus dyentericus Baker 5 This plant bears small tubers growing like the fingers of a hand from a central point. They are about 60 cm. long and black. The plant grows to about 70 cm. high and has yellow flowers. The tubers are prepared by washing only and are boiled in their skins and taste like potato. It is not known near the coast but is used in the Upper River Division.

NUTS AND SEEDS.

See also under fruits Casuo (No. 51), Manankaso (No. 62), Netto (No. 64), Sito (No. 69), Tengo (No. 74).

37. Coco (M, W) Tubab sibo (M).

Coconut, White man's borassus, Cocos nucifera Linn. Only grown at the coast and there it is not common. The tree is a palm with a shorter stem than the Borassus palm or the oil palm, with long feathery leaves often half as long as the stem. The coconut water or `milk' is drunk and the flesh sliced and used by the Wolof and Aku people in sweet dishes.

38. Egusi (Aku, W)8 Sara kulo (M).

Egusi melon Cucumeropsis edulis Cogn. Cucumeropsis manii Naud. 15.

Not usually grown in The Gambia but the seed (kulo) is imported for use at the coast. The outer skin of the seed is.peeled off and the inside is pounded to a flour and usually added to plasas.

39. Garamanti (M?) Ndere (W)

Tiger nut, earth almond.A brown `nut' or root sold in markets and eaten fresh.

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40.Kuruo (M) Guru (W) Goro (F).

Cola nut, Kola nut, Bitter cola, Abata cola.

Cola acuminata P Beauv. Cola nitida The tree is not common. Most nuts are imported and are therefore found in markets at the coast. Nuts from Senegal are called Kuruo, those from Sierra Leone are called Angeli (English). The nuts are chewed for the stimulant effect, due to their caffeine content. Available from local trees in the dry season, though November was quoted as a time of abundance in a survey at Yoro-Beri-Kunde (Gordon, 1944 12).

41. Kwo-kuntango (M)

Water lily. Nymphaea lotus.

The seeds are boiled and eaten.

42. Morkungo (M)18.

Man's head Treculia africana

A tree bearing a spherical fruit, the seeds of which are eaten. Recorded in earlier times but not commonly known.

43. Ogiri, Ogeree (W, Aku, M?) Beno (M).

Sesame, beniseed, simsim or sem-sem Sesamum indicum Linn. Used not to be grown in The Gambia in any quantity but is becoming more common. The seeds are imported and sold in the main markets for use by Aku and Wolof people in palava sauce. They are also used to make oil (bene tulo). The seeds are reported to be rich in calcium17.

44a. Soso (M) N'ebe, Nyebe (W, Aku) Sep, Sebu (W)

Cow-pea or black-eyed bean or black-eyed pea.

Vigna unguiculata Walp. 1

These are the most commonly eaten bean and they are sold in the markets of Banjul and grown in the Upper River Division. They may be used, but infrequently, inland by those who can afford to buy them in areas where they are not grown. In the Upper River Division they are interplanted with cereal crops and the beans are reedy at the end of the rains, in October and November. The bean pod is like a small runner bean about 12 cm. long and 1 cm. in diameter. Only the seeds (beans) are used, not the pod, and they may be eaten fresh or dried when they may be white or brown with a black eye. They are used to make akara, a cake made from soaked and pounded beans. Salt is added to this batter and the mixture is fried in hot oil and served with a sauce made of chilli, onion, green pepper and salt.

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Akara is anAku and Wolof dish eaten mainly at the coast. The beans are also boiled as a sauce (soso dajiwo) or added to futo or to rice (soso nyankantango), where they are boiled before being added to the rice.

44b. Soso (M).

Cow-pea, yardlong bean, asparagus bean, Chinese long bean

Vigna unguiculata 1

This variety of cow-pea is used in the green state and the whole bean (pod) is eaten. The pod grows to a great length. They were introduced by the Taiwanese in their demonstration watered vegetable gardens near the coast.

45. Soso (M).

Lima bean or Rangoon bean, butter bean.

Phaseolus lunatus Linn.15

Used infrequently and mainly at the coast, in sauces, fresh and dried. The darker varieties have a rather high content of a poisonous substance 15 and should be selected out.

46. Tianding kolon, Tiokolon, Tia kotongo, Kolongo (M) Nyebegerte (W).

Bambara groundnuts, Bambara nuts, ground bean, earth pea, Madagascar or stone groundnut.

Voandzeia subterranea Thouars.

The seeds are used as an alternative to the common groundnut, although they are not widely grown, and they ripen at about the same time. They are eaten fresh from the shell, or may be cooked after soaking to soften them, or roasted dry in a pan.

47. Tio, Tiga, Mantiga, Tiya (M) Guerte, Gerte (W)

Groundnut, monkey nut, peanut Arachis hypogaea Linn. The groundnut is the chief cash crop in The Gambia and is also an important item of food. It is planted in June, July and August and the first nuts (called burukuso) are reedy for harvesting in October, but most are lifted in November and sold in December. Tiabano, groundnuts that were accidentally not lifted the year before, appear.in September when other supplies of groundnuts have been used up and the new crop is planted but not yet harvested. Groundnuts are eaten frequently in June (May further inland) as the rejects from planting are available. After the main crop is sold, ground-

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nuts are gleaned from the fields. Freshly harvested groundnuts (tia kittingo) are softer than the mature nuts , as they have a higher water content.

Groundnuts are eaten throughout the year in various sauces, such as tia durango, kulango, tia dajiwo and jambo, or are cooked with rice as in nyankantango and tiakere churo (see Chapter 2). They are also eaten raw (tia kero) as a snack food or cooked in their shells, by boiling (tia tabiringo, tia fajiringo) or roasting directly on the fire (tia janiringo). The leaves are occasionally used in sauces. Groundnut oil is purchased and used for richer dishes and at festivals.

FRUITS.

48. Banano (M) Banan (W).

Banana Musa sp. probably sapientum Linn. This does not grow particularly well in The Gambia; those that are grown are mainly at the coast and they are sold in most coastal markets. Only one bunch of fruit grows from one stem so this is chopped near ground level once it has borne fruit to allow surrounding suckers to develop.

49. Bembo (M)18 Sonn,10,5 Son a bey, Ndogot (W).

Lannea velutina A. Rich. Lannea acida A. Rich.

The tree is not large, and has drooping foliage and pinnate leaves. Panicles of black velvety fruits are produced in the dry season, mainly April, and are sold in the markets in Banjul. The fruit flesh is acid and floury and pinkish white, not unlike baobab fruit. It is eaten by only a few people, mainly inland, otherwise it is used as a medicine. The fruit is sometimes made into a fermented drink.

50. Biabo (M) Biab (W).

Guava Psidium guajava Linn.

A straggling small tree seeded by birds who often take the fruit before it is ripe. It has a characteristic flaky bark and the leaves are rough on the underside. Fruits develop after the tree is two or three years old and are available in September. There are both yellow and pink fleshed varieties and the fruits can be used raw or cooked, making excellent stewed fruit and jams. It is also sometimes planted in vegetable gardens.

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51. Casuo, Kasuwu (M)18 Dakasso, Darkasu (W).

Cashew Anacardium occidentale Linn.

A sturdy spreeding tree with a short bole and branching low, with evergreen leaves and bright red fruits. The fruits are actually enlarged receptacles to which the grey nut is attached externally. The fruit or cashew apple is available in about May and is edible, though sour. The skin or pericarp of the nut contains caustic and vesicant substances (anacardic acid and cardole). It stains clothing and is used for tanning and tattooing. The nuts must be roasted to release the well known cashew nut or kernel. The kernel is often roasted again and may be used pounded in durango instead of groundnuts.

52. Duto, Dutowo18 (M) Dimba (W)7 Dude (F) Wulakono duto or Wulokono duto (M).

Bush or wild mango. Cordyla africana Lour. 9

A medium sized tree with rough bark and attractive drooping foliage which is bluish green in colour. The fruits are smooth skinned, lime green in colour and the flesh yellow. The skin has a bitter flavour and there are two seeds embedded in the flesh, which is sweet, juicy and very pleasant. Fruits are ripe at the beginning of the rains, May to August. Before they are ripe they are sometimes cooked with raw groundnuts and eaten with futo. They may also be dried. The fruits are cut in half and then dried in the sun for about five days and stored, the kernel being discarded. When needed they are pounded in a mortar with a little water, steamed twice, baobab leaves added and then steamed again. They maybe mixed with futo. Wolofpeople sometimes use the dried fruit as a substitute for meat.

53. Fole (M) Toi (W).

Landolphia heudelotti A.DC.

Dalziel 5 describes this species as a shrubby many stemmed climber with fragrant flowers. It used to be the chief source of Gambian rubber but is now infrequently seen in The Gambia, though it is more common in Senegal. The fruit is globose with an apical projection. It has acid edible pulp and two seeds. There are two varieties , one is yellow-orange and slightly furry and sour and the other, which is called cassa fole, is bright red and sweeter but is not so common. Both ripen about August or September. It is sold in coastal markets.

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54.Jak (M? W?).

Jack fruit Artocarpus heterophyllus (integrifolia) 4

A comparatively recently introduced tree and there are still only a relatively few specimens growing. The tree is medium in height and grows compactly and vertically. The leaves are simple and evergreen. The huge fruits are ugly, warty and green, larger than the breedfruit but irregular in shape, being elongated rather than round, and grow more from the stems of the tree. The edible flesh around the seeds has a strong and off-putting smell but tastes passably like pineapple and is eaten fresh or cooked. In other areas the seeds are used as flour after roasting or boiling.

55. Kaba (M) Mad, Mada (W) Lare, Pore (F).

Landolphia Florida Benth. 3 now Saba Florida (A.DC) Pichon or Saba senegalensis 9,18.

A climber bearing large yellow pods that are sold in markets. The fruits have ugly yellow, brown or green rough cases when ripe and inside there are many yellow flesh-covered seeds which are very sour. These may be sucked and the seed discarded, or a drink can be made from the flesh by leaving the seeds to soak overnight in water, straining and adding sugar. They are available from May to September.

56. Koroso,9 Kurusowo (M)18.

Wild date, swamp date palm Phoenix reclinata Jacq. Gathered by children to eat as a snack.

56a. Tamareo (M)

Dates Phoenix dactylifera Linn.

Imported and sold in markets.

57. Kosito (M) Solam solam, Solom (W)10,18,5.

Black or velvet tamarind Dialium guineense Willd. This plant has small black velvety fruits that, when peeled, leave a small white piece of flesh which tastes like baobab but is sweeter. It is chewed when fresh. It grows in the bush and is available from March to July.

58. Kutufingo,9 Simbong (M) Helle, Heul (W)5.

Black plum Vitex doniana (barbata 9 Planch. 5,12) The tree is an erect evergreen of medium height, with palmate leaves. The fruits when ripe have a smooth shiny black skin and a.

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single stone. The flesh tastes sweet. It ripens naturally between August and November, but the fruit when still green can be artificially ripened by burying it or putting it in ashes. It is then less sweet than the ripe fruit and may even be a little sour. It is sometimes sold in markets. In some areas the leaves are used in groundnut sauce.12.

59. Lemuno, Limongo (M).

Lemon Citrus limon

Not common as the lime replaces it in growing far more easily.

60. Lemuna mesengo (M) Limon (W) Lemune tiechode, Lemene kalema (F).

Lime, sour lime, citronnier Citrus aurantifolia Swingle The lime has smaller leaves than the orange or lemon and when they are crushed they smell pleasantly of lime. The spherical fruits are smaller than oranges and are green or yellow when ripe. They may be eaten raw as a fruit, squeezed as a drink or squeezed onto food, e.g. tia durango, tiakere churo and occasionally other foods. Available in markets practically all the year round but are particularly abundant from October to December.

61. Mampatto (M)18 Mambatta (W)18 Mampatta leolako (J) Kuranako (F).

Rough-skinned plum, grey plum, Guinea plum and locally sometimes called the Jola fruit Parinari excelsa Sabine

The tree is found only in the Western Division up to the Bintang bolong. It is a medium-sized tree conspicuous in flower as it looks like a large cauliflower. The fresh leaves are bronze in colour. The.the seeds may be used as a sweet. A mono can be made from the fruit by mixing with water and pounding. The skin and seeds are removed and no sugar is added as they are sweet enough without.trunk of the tree is grey, rough and scaly. In the open, the tree grows to a dense round crown. Many of these trees are in the riverine forest of Abuko Nature Reserve where the fruits are seen on the track in February to April. The fruits are ellipsoid, about 5 cm. long, greybrown in colour, or silvery brownish or purplish and are easily peeled to reveal a yellowish soft flesh tasting like date custard, though others describe it as `astringent to sweetish' 4 and smelling of honey. The flesh is eaten and.the seeds may be used as a sweet.A mono cn be made from the fruit by mixing with water and pounding. The skin and seeds are removed and no sugar is added as they are sweet enough without.

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The nuts are occasionally pounded to produce oil (mampatto tulo). Too much of this fruit is said to cause constipation.

62. Manankaso, Mankaso, Mankanaso, Wamgaso (M), Bankanafi, Manankasa, Mbahabasa (W).

Man's head Icacina olivaeformis senegalensis A. Juss. Bushes of this shiny leaved shrub are found all over waste land in the dry season. The red berries, which have a furry skin, are eaten by children. In times of scarcity the seeds can be dried and pounded for use in futo. The seed is stored whole and when needed soaked for a week, dried again and pounded to a flour and steamed, when baobab leaf is added in the normal way. Earlier reports12 describe such a use but it may still be used in the remoter areas today. Available from March to August.

63. Nemuno, Larincho, Lemuno (M) Soras (W).

Sweet orange Citrus sinensis Osbeck.

The planting of orange trees in villages has been promoted by the Agricultural Department, so they are widely distributed both in vegetable gardens and along roadsides. Oranges are used raw and squeezed as a drink. They are available especially at the end of the wet season, November to February, and throughout the dry season.

64. Netto (M) Nette (W)10 Egelai (J).

The locust bean or monkey cutlass tree Parkia biglobosa Benth. A large tree with feathery foliage, spreeding rather than forming a.

crown. The flowers are red balls hanging on long stalks and are used by children for games. The fruits are long black pods (like cutlasses).

that contain yellow floury flesh (nete munko) .and black seeds (nete kulo), and they are available from April to August. The yellow.fruit may be eaten raw or with honey or sugar, or cooked after first soaking in water and kulo squeezing out the material and removing the.seeds. The yellow flour mixture thickens on.boiling and may be served alone as mono nettejio ('netto water' literally) or nettebero. Sugar may be added to this mixture or it may be served with rice. Jola people dry the flour and keep it through the dry season and serve it with sour milk to children. The seeds are also used and are a valuable flavouring in several dishes but they must first be `treated' as follows:.

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1. The seeds are washed thoroughly to remove the fibre and flour and then steamed for one hour. They are stored for four days in a closed jar, then salt is added and the seeds are dried in the sun for about two hours. They are then pressed into balls and stored or sold.

2. Another method reported is that the seeds are boiled for one day and one night. After cooling and washing in water they are put into a bucket and pressed into balls. They are left for two days, then rolled into balls again and left for two more days. They are eaten after a further one or two days.

These fermented seeds are called tulingo (M), nettetuo (W), and are pounded usually with chilli pepper, before adding them to groundnut sauces (tia durango), jambo, sour leaf sauces, plasas or nyankantango. The whole fermented seeds are sometimes added to futo.

65. Ninkongo,9 Ninkom,5 Supa-jambo (M)18 Ninkong, Nimkonm (W).

Mombin or Hog plum Spondias mom bin Linn. 9 This is a large tree with pinnate leaves that is often planted in or near villages. The fruits are smooth skinned with a soft yellow flesh, slightly sour in flavour with a strong smell but remarkably like a temperate plum. They are reddish when ripe. The single stone of the fruit is also edible. The fruit may be eaten fresh or squeezed to make a drink, or squeezed over food. It ripens in August and September.

66. Pakaia, Pakaryar (M), Papaya, Popokaiyo (M, W).

Pawpaw or papaya Carica papaya Linn.

The trees are fast growing and may grow anything from 1 to 5 metres. They are planted in compounds all over the country. The female and hermaphrodite trees bear fruits at about 2 to 4 years old, which maybe very large and of many shapes, but are generally oval with pointed ends. They are yellow or green when ripe and may be picked to ripen off the tree. They are available from January to May and are usually eaten fresh, sliced and peeled and the seeds removed, but they may be cooked ripe or unripe and used as dajiwo (with raw groundnuts, salt and chilli (jambo dajiwo papaya)). Since the leaves contain papain, a proteolytic enzyme, they are sometimes used to soften meat, by leaving the meat wrapped in them for a few hours.

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67.Pear, Ovocado (M, W).

Avocado pear Persea americana Mill.

The tree has simple leaves somewhat like those of the mango, but is not usually as large as the mango tree. The fruit is pear shaped, green or purplish and the flesh a paler green, soft and smooth, and contains an unusual amount of fat for a fruit (15%). It has a central inedible stone and the skin peels easily. The fruit can be eaten sliced or mashed, alone or with salt or sugar or spreed on breed. If it is cooked it has a bitter flavour and if eaten in quantity may be toxic to some animals. It is only commonly available near the coast and is sold in markets, where it commands a high price.

67a. Saro (M).

Water melon Citrullus vulgaris

This is grown in local home vegetable gardens during the dry season. It has a creeping habit and bears very large spherical fruits, which have a hard green skin. It is used as a snack food. The flesh inside is red and watery with a sweet refreshing taste. It has black seeds embedded in it.

68. Sibo (M) Sibi (W) Rhun (W, M, J) Sibo (J).

Black Rhun palm, Borassus palm, Palmyra or African fan palm

Borassus aethiopum Mart. 10,12 or Borassus flabellifer Linn. 15,18.

This palm grows to a great height, has a single large stem with a smooth bark, and a characteristic bulge halfway up. This develops when the tree is about 50 years old. It is prominent in the scenery of the coastal region and occurs also in the Kombos, McCarthy Island Division, Jarra East and West, but not in West Kiang. The leaves are very large, fanshaped and are used for thatching and basket work. The fresh shoots (kakoyo (M), pulho (W)) of new seedlings are dug up and cooked before eating and the root (sibi kulo) of the new seedling is also eaten, usually raw, but before the plant grows to the leaf stage (sibidinso). The terminal buds of new shoots are sometimes used as vegetables in the dry season (palm cabbage). The fruits, when immature (njalango) are collected by scaling the trunk, and are eaten by slicing off the top of the fruit and scooping out the jelly-like substance inside with the finger. These are reedy from April to July and are sold in markets. If the fruits are left to ripen (sibo or sibidingo) they are peeled and eaten fresh, especially by the Jola and Manjago people, during the rains starting about September. The flesh of the ripe fruit has a turpentine flavour and is orange in colour. If the fruit is left to harden, it maybe eaten like a coconut, and is then called karkoioi.

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69. Sito (M)9 Gui (W)18 Boki (F).

Baobab, Cream of Tartar or Monkey Breed tree.

Adansonia digitata Linn. This is one of the most useful trees in The Gambia and has a very characteristic shape, having a wide bole to the trunk and tapering at the top, which gives the impression of being planted upside down. The fruits are large, the shape of small rugby balls, furry and.greenish-yellow, and they are available for most of the year, although they are most abundant from December to April. The white or pinkish fruit `flesh', which is hard and dry, is eaten as a snack. It is also often prepared by squeezing in water in which it dissolves, to obtain baobab fruit 'juice' or `milk' (sitajio), which is used as a drink alone or may be added to other dishes, e.g. monos, to give them an acid flavour, or mixed with groundnut paste and sugar (sitanono (M) gif or niiniiob (W)) Baobab.fruit’juice is rlch in cream of tartar (potassium acid tartrate), calcium, pectin, glucose and mucilage.During Ramadan particularly, and at other times, rice balls are made and served in baobab fruit ‘juice’ or ‘milk’ (called sitanjake (M) or mananburo (W) usually with theaddition of sugar.The fruit ‘flesh’ may also be disolved in cows or goats milk(sita ninsi,sita ba) which is used as a drink alone, or baobab fruit juice' (sitajio) maybe added to cows' milk to enhance the sour taste.

The seeds (sitakulo) found embedded in the fruit `flesh' together with coarse fibrous threeds, are yellow, turning black when older and are rich in potassium and phosphate. They are eaten especially in August and September. In the Kiang districts, these seeds are sometimes roasted and ground and used instead of groundnuts or maybe used to supplement them in times of scarcity, e.g. early in the wet season. They are not used with rice. The seeds are also sucked by children until the outer coat is removed, but the central seed is not eaten. The germinating seed and young roots are sometimes eaten (See also No. 12 for leaves).

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70.Sungkungo, Suntwungo (M)18 Sunkun sunkungo9 Dunkume

(F) Dorgot or Diorgud (W)9 Sour sop.

Sour sop Anona sp.

Anona muricata Linn.

Sweet sop or scaly custard apple or sugar apple.

Anona squamosa Linn.

Custard apple Anona reticulata Linn. Wild custard apple 9 Anona senegalensis

The wild variety is indigenous, small and eaten only by children when

found in the bush. The flesh is red and the skin yellow when ripe, which is between March and July.

The cultivated introduced sour sop and custard apple have a rather ugly brown-green surface which is reticulated or spined, but this peels easily when the fruit is ripe, to reveal a white flesh that is sweet or slightly acid and sometimes leaves a bitter after-taste. The brown seeds are embedded in the flesh but are not edible. The sweet sop has a pleasant aroma and is sweeter than the sour sop.

71. Tabo9 (M) Taba, Ntaba (M, W).

The wild or Mandingo Kola Cola cordifolia (Cav.) R. Br. This is a large evergreen tree with palmate leaves and is often used to give shade to the central meeting place of the village over the bantaba. The fruits are conspicuous in August (May to July inland). The red pods contain many seeds, which are sucked to remove the sweet flesh. The seed itself is not edible.

72. Tallo,18 Talo,9 Taleo (M) Ditteh, Datarh, Ditah,7 Ditarh, Wanta.

(W)18 Boto, Botomel (F)

The tallow tree. Detarium senegalense Gmelin.

This is a large tree with spreeding crown. The leaves are pinnate with rounded ends, the bark bluish grey. The fruits are green, even when ripe, and are rounded or oval and flattened, about the size of a mango. There is one large seed, the kernel of which is edible, surrounded by green flesh through which runs fibrous threeds. When fresh, the fruit tastes sour and sometimes even bland, rather like avocado pear. Pregnant women are said to suck the fruits but everyone enjoys them and they are.sold in the markets from about November to February. The fruits can be prematurely ripened by steaming and keeping a few days and if the ripe fruits dry out with keeping, they can be revived by dipping.

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in water and sugar. The solution in which the fruits were dipped may afterwards be consumed. There is a closely related species called Tallow kwiango (M), Ditarh grey (W), which is poisonous.

73. Tamba,9,18 Tambakumba (M) Kura-bansunai (F) Newr, Neou (W)1°.

Gingerbreed plum Parinari macrophylla Sabine 9.

The tree grows to a large size in suitable situations,.But it is usually seen.

In the coastal savannah, particularly in the drier parts of the Abuko Nature Reserve and around Brufut, as a large straggling bush. The fruits have rough brown skins and are the size of a large plum. The flesh is yellow and may be eaten fresh or dried and is said to taste like mampatto (No. 61) but not so sweet. It is said the fruits can be buried to ripen them but they also ripen naturally in October or November through December, often into March. They are not usually sold in markets, though their nuts are (tambakulu keso), which may be used instead of groundnuts in tia durango or j ambo, although they are bitter in flavour before cooking. Some people are allergic to them.Soap can be made from the fat of these nuts by cooking them with palm oil.

74. Tengo,9 Tengho (M)18 Tirk,18 Tir (W).

Oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. 9

This is a typical palm with long fronds, although these are much.

shorter than those of the coconut palm. The tree is cultivated for its wine (teng' dolo), by Manjagos only, which is tapped from the terminal bud base, and its oil (teng' tulo, tuluseo), which is extracted from the fruit flesh (teng' kulo) and the kernel (teng' kulokeso) of the fruit. (See p. 20 for extraction.) Palm oil, which is orange in colour, is rich in carotene and the principal fats are olein and palmitin, which are particularly resistant to rancidity. Palm kernel oil, on the other hand, is colourless and does not contain carotene.

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Palm oil is well liked and used in plasas, benechin, soups and stews at the coast and in nyankantango and jambo inland. The young growing point is sometimes used as a vegetable. The fruits are reedy from February until August, but are especially plentiful in April.

75. Timbingo (M) Daharg, Dakhar, Ndakhar, Dakagh,10,18 Dahar,10> Timin-timin (W).

Indian Tamarind. Sometimes also called sour tambla

Tamarindus indica Linn.

The tree is not common, and mostly grows on McCarthy Island, and in the Upper River Division. The tree is large and has very small pinnate leaves that are edible, acid tasting and most commonly eaten by children, who are said to mix them with the gum of a fig tree (sameo (M)) to sweeten them. Some Mandinka people use the leaves fresh with locust bean seeds (tulingo), others dry them and, when needed, soak them overnight and boil them for sauce. The fruits, which are reddish brown pods containing many seeds and much fibrous material, are soaked in water and used as an acid drink or to give an acid flavour to futo, mono or tia durango. The acidity is due to tartaric and malic acids. The kernels of the seeds may be eaten in times of scarcity. The fruits ripen in March and April, but are often found in the markets of Banjul at other times.

76. Tomborong, Tomborang, Tomborongo, Tumburong (M) Sedem, Dem (W)10 Diabi jabi (F).

The Chinese date, Jujube tree, Ber tree Ziziphus jujuba Lam.

A spiny straggling bush or tree with oval.leaves which have nearly parallel veins. The berries (tomborong dingo (M)) are small, about 1 cm. in diameter, red-brown with a crinkly skin when ripe, and taste of dates. The stone is large in relation to the size of the fruit. The flesh is dried and preserved like dates and used to make a beverage and a sort of breed in other parts ofAfrica, but probably not in The Gambia. The fruits ripen in March at the coast and are available in the markets until May. About 200 miles inland they ripen as early as December and are available until March.`9.

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77. Tubab duto, Tubabu-guto,18 Dooto, Duto (M) Mangoro,.

Mangaro (W)

Mango. Mangifera indica Linn.

A common spreeding, large, evergreen tree planted near and in

villages for its fruit and shade. The fruit is large, green, turning yellowish or tinged maroon, and has a large stone to which the flesh adheres by fibrous threeds. The flesh is yellow and sweet and local varieties tend to taste of turpentine but are nevertheless good, and are eaten in large quantities. The half-ripe fruit is sometimes dried and the kernel may be roasted and eaten.

The fruits ripen in July and August at the coast and as early as May (until July) inland. Occasionally there is a second crop in October if the rains are particularly good. The fruit is a good source of vitamin C.

78. Tubab ninkongo (M).

Probably the Sierra Leone plum Scientific name unknown.

A tree found only at the coast and not common. The fruit is bigger than 'ninkongo' (No. 65) with a brownish skin when ripe and it tastes like a cross between a mango and a plum and is very sweet. It has a single stone with protruding hairs.

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79.Tubab do (M, W, Aku).

Breadfruit Artocarpus communis Forst.

Not common. A medium-sized tree with huge leaves, which is planted in a few villages near the coast. The fruit has a warty rind and is about the size of a football. The flesh is white-yellow and is prepared for eating by peeling and cutting into even sized pieces and cooked by frying or boiling. Some advise boiling in two changes of water because of occasional `unwholesome effects'. It tastes quite like potato when boiled and is said to taste like breed when fried.

80. Other fruits:18.

a. Kunteng-jawo (M)18.

Sclerocarya birrea

A tree, the fruit of which is eaten. The fruit resembles a small. mango.

b. Porto-kwileo (M). Strychnes spinosa.

A small tree, the fruit of which is eaten.

c. Soto, Sarto-kuruwo, Sarto-kwaiyo (M).

Ficus capensis.

An edible fig.

Sorto (M) Ficus sp. near gnaphalocarpa.

A type of fig.

d. Tankanto (M)

Wild gardenia. Gardenia erubescens

Fruits of this shrub are eaten

FISH.

A large number of species of fish has been recorded in The Gambia, but only a few of these feature in rural diets. The fish given below probably cover most of those encountered in the West Kiang area, and are based on information supplied by the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Banjul 6,19,19a, supplemented by other lists 1a,9a,15a,15b,15c , E.Gillies, unpublished 11, and information gathered during dietary recording in West Kiang over the past 20 years (E. Muller, unpublished, L. Jarjou and others, unpublished, and from published.

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studies 30,34,47) Full details of some systematic and local names may be lacking, and it should be noted that variations in names can be found for the same fish, and systematic names can change over time. The main fish landings for The Gambia are given in the FAO Yearbook of Fisheries Statistics (Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome).

81. Chalo, Challo, Chalyo (M) Kobo, Oba (W).

Bonga, Shad, West African Herring Ethmalosa fimbriata.

A marine fish of the herring family (Clupidae), this is by far the most frequently encountered fish, and forms a large part of the Gambian fisheries industry. It is a tasty fish, much in demand, and is sold fresh in many parts of the country relatively cheaply. It is also smoked whole on platforms near the fishing grounds, giving it keeping qualities for transport and export. It is medium sized, weighing about 150g (range 70-200g), and rather flat with shiny scales. It has numerous fine whiskery bones which are eaten, though the larger bones are discarded. It is used both fresh (boiled) and dried, the latter being added to sauces such as tia durango, kucha durango/domoda (West Kiang) and jambo. About 70% of the boiled whole fish is edible, or about 85% of partly prepared pieces.

82. Feta (M) Tonon (W).

Ladyfish, croaker Pseudotholithus senegalensis

A large fish weighing about 1.5kg (range 0.5 to 2.5kg) which has a thick skin, and a characteristic shape. It is flat and very broad, the width being nearly as great as the length. There is one main bone which has the same shape as the fish. About 86% of the boiled fish is edible.

83. Furo (M) Wass (W) Mangopage (Aku).

Tilapia Tilapia galilaea

Tilapia spp.

These small freshwater fish contain needle sharp bones which are removed before eating (boiled). When dried, these bones are retained and pounded in with the fish flesh, only the head and tail being removed first. About 65% of the whole fresh fish is edible.

83a. Furundingo (M).

Tilapia Tilapia spp.

Hemichromis spp.

These are generally smaller than furo, though the names furo and furundingo appear to be used interchangeably. Apopular item in the diet 34, these very small freshwater Tilapia are caught and sold by fishermen. They weigh only about 30g (range 20 to 100g), and are.

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boiled and eaten whole except for the head and some sharp bones. About 50% of the boiled whole fish is edible. They are also dried after removing only the head and tail; the bones thus provide an excellent source of calcium. Immature fish, minute in size and which are eaten whole (kojay-furundingo, chemedeto) are also occasionally collected from the rice swamps, although less nowadays than in the past. About 100 of these can be held in one handful.

84. Jotto, njoto (M). Sciaena nigrita

A large freshwater fish, occasionally obtained from local fishermen.

85. Koso (M).

Catfish Synodontis spp.

A smaller catfish than kungkalengo, this freshwater fish has the same shape of a broad head and tapering body. It weighs around 400g, about 70% of this being edible. It is often dried.

86. Kujalo, Kujeli (M) Jan (W).

Spanish fish Polynemus quadrifilis

A very large freshwater fish which is widely used, this is second to challo in popularity. It ranges greatly in size (0.5 to 2kg), and averages about lkg in weight. It has only a few large bones, which are discarded in both fresh fish and before drying. The edible proportion of the fresh fish is about 90%, although it is most commonly eaten dried.

87. Kunkalengo (M).

Catfish Chrysichthys spp.

This is a large freshwater fish, with a broad head and tapering body. It is often smoked. It weighs around 800g and can vary greatly in size ( range 200g to 2 kg). It is boiled in water, around 80% of it being edible.

88. Nganya (M) Yohos (W).

Oyster Ostrea edulis

An important shellfish in The Gambia, mainly near the coast. Oysters are harvested at low tide from the stems of mangrove plants in river creeks, or from oyster beds. In some places, this activity is confined to the dry season. The oysters are baked in their shells on small log fires until the shells begin to pull apart. After cooling, they are shucked with a strong knife and the shelled oysters taken to markets. However, they rarely feature in the rural diet. The.

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characteristic heaps of oyster shells beside the landing stages are sold as a by-product, the shells being burnt to obtain `white lime' a chalky material which is used in decorating and plastering in buildings.

89. Tambajango, Kakanja (M) Molet, Deru (W).

Red mullet, Goatfish Mullus surmuletus

Fairly commonly encountered, this small freshwater fish has a longish body with a blunt head. It weighs about 70g (range 45 to 105g). It doesn't have fine whiskery bones, but some bones are included when it is dried. About 70% of the fresh boiled fish is edible.

90. Tarorow, Taro (M).

Moonfish Citharinus citherus

A medium small freshwater fish, fairly commonly encountered. It weighs about 160g (range 85 to 300g) and about 80% ofthis is edible.