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Famine Foods
Compiled by Robert Freedman

MORINGACEAE

Moringa oleifera, Lam. India (Rajasthan, western): flowers, leaves, leaf buds and long fruit ('drum sticks ') eaten as vegetable. Sudan: small lealets are stripped from the leaf stalks and eaten raw in salads. Young pods eaten like green beans and the flowers and leaves are eaten as vegetables. The green or dried leaves eaten as salad mixed with groundnuts, or cooked as a stew and served with porridge or Kisra (a thin, flat bread). Nigeria (Kano State, northern): leaves, roots, young pods, seed oil eaten. Chemical composition (after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 15.6% (dry). Fat = 10.1% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 5.1% (dry). Ash = 11.5% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 5.1% (dry). Sucrose = 5.5% (dry). D-glucose = 1.3% (dry). F-fructose = 1.5% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 10.4g. Threonine = 5.3g. Serine = 4.7g. Glutamic acid = 13.3g. Proline = 4.4g. Glycine = 6.4g. Alanine = 7.3g. Valine = 6.8g. Cysteine = 0.8g. Methionine = 1.8g. Isoleucine = 5.6g. Leucine = 10.9g. Tyrosine = 4.7g. Phenylalanine = 6.6g. Lysine = 6.1g. Histidine = 2.4g. Arginine = 6.6g. Minerals: Sulphur = 0.23% (dry). Postassium = 0.14% (dry). Magnesium = 0.69% (dry). Calcium = 3.18% (dry). Na = 0.16% (dry). K =0.91% (dry). Zinc = 15mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 854mg/kg -1 (dry). Manganese = 79mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 5mg/kg-1 (dry). Leaves rich in Vitamins A and C. Vernacular name - Rajasthan: Sainjan, Sanjna. Sudan (Arabic): Rawag. English: Drumstick Tree. Hausa: Zogale. Kanuri: Alinga. Ref. ABDELMUTI; DARLINGTON & AMMAL, GUPTA & KANODIA, MORTIMORE, SAXENA; SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA.

Moringa pterygosperma, Gaertn. India (Bombay Presidency): roots, leaves, flowers and fruits eaten cooked in water and mixed with salt and chili peppers. Vernacular name - Bombay Presidency, Surat district: Shekta. Ref. GAMMIE.


Last update Thursday, March 5, 1998 by aw