African Walnuts

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Common name(s): African  walnuts (botanical name - tetracarpidium conophorum) 

Other name(s): referred to as asala, ewusa/awusa (Yoruba) ekporo in the Efik dialect and ukpa in Igbo.

Description:  African walnuts are fruits of a woody perennial climber plant, found mostly in the dense rain-forest of Africa. (some also found in India). The fruits come in a hard casing which releases a whitish round nut when cracked open. The shell colour, often black but can be any shade of gray. The entire plant including leaves and roots have nutritional and medicinal properties, for which it is cultivate. The fruits (which are basically a type of nut) are the most commonly used part of the plant, significantly used for food and also to extract its oil which has a very high value especially in medicine and pharmaceutical.



Taste: The fruit has a firm and crunchy texture with no overpowering flavours. But upon drinking water after consumption, one may experience an unusual bitter taste/sensation in the mouth. This is believed to be attributed to the presence of some variants of chemical alkaloids, tannins or phytochemicals. This however has no toxicity and of no danger to human consumption.

Nutritional Data based on 100g of shelled walnut kernels

  • Calories - 315kcal
  • Carbohydrates -13.14g
  • Protein - 24.01
  • Fats - 17.39
  • Fibre - 5.99
  • Vitamins: - C, E, B6, B7, thiamin, folate
  • Minerals: - Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Sodium
  • Fatty Acids - Omega 3 & 6

Health Use/Benefits: There are so many claims about the health benefits of African walnuts, some of which have been scientifically proven. However, I am more drawn towards the impressive nutritional profile of the fruit especially the amount of essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants it possesses. For this reason, I am of the opinion that this fruit should feature regularly in my diet, and I am exploring ways of achieving this aim.

Usage:

  1. Can be boiled with salt and eaten
  2. Can be used in salads
  3. Can be ground into a paste and added to soups as thickener or as a substitute for Egusi (melon seeds)
  4. Can be roasted or baked


Business Ideas/Opportunities:

  1. Cultivation of African Walnut
  2. Dehydration / production of powdered African Walnut
  3. Exportation of African Walnut





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