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15.05.07
Ogbono nuts – African fruit on European market
Irvingia belongs in tree family Irvingiaceae. Its origins are western, tropical coasts of Africa, but mostly Gabon and Cameron. Irvingia is also known as wild mango, African mango, or bush mango. Plant has mango like edible fruit, valued because of its richness on fats and proteins. Fruit is big, with stringy meat, named ogbono, etima, odika, or dika nut.
Traditionally, aromatic nuts (fruit stone) are dried on the sun in order to conserve them, but also they can be eaten fresh or grind. Dika bread or Gabon chocolate is made from dried nuts. Fruit meat has high percentage of sticky juice, so it is used as thickener for various dishes, especially for preparation of ogbono soup. Dried nuts can also be milled for production of oil and butter, and juice or marmalade can be made form its fruit.
Because this plant is mostly put on the market illegally, which means his quality is doubtful, FAO works on making standards for this plant. Ogbono nuts were rejected from European borders many times, mostly because of aflatoxin.
Diana Herold
Whole article was published in Croatian daily newspaper ‘Večernji list’.
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