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Tag: food

  • King Ayisoba gears up for Ghana Food Festival in USA

    King Ayisoba gears up for Ghana Food Festival in USA

    Renowned traditional musician and King of Kologo music, King Ayisoba is feverishly preparing to entertain patrons at the upcoming Ghana Food Festival in Delaware, United States of America(USA).

    Organized by First Page Promotions US, in partnership with First Page Foundation Ghana, the Ghana Food Festival would bring together Ghanaian restaurants and chop bars in the US and in the country.

    The event which is planned to project Ghanaian culture, boost tourism, create jobs and strengthen international relations, is scheduled to take place at the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, 80 Rosa Park Delaware from July 28 to 29, 2023.

    Sponsored by H&H Beauty Supply and Salon, Group Construction Company Ltd, KnB Products and Exjuvel Education Centre, the event also enjoys wide Media Partnership of local Ghanaian and US media houses, namely, Voice of the Nation Radio Atlanta, GTV, GTV Lifestyle, Adom TV and Adom FM, Phoboko Radio New jersey, Kings Jersey Radio and TV.

    An excited King Ayisoba, who spoke in an interview in Accra, stated that he was leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the event is successful.

    “It is a show to showcase Ghana and its culture to the international community, so I want to do my best to leave a mark in their minds about Ghana,” Ayisoba stated.

    He was optimistic the event would put Ghana on the international map as people enjoy local Ghanaian dishes and indigenous traditional music.

    “Our food and music are very unique so we need to use them to tell the good story about Ghana and its people and to help bring tourists down here to see things for themselves.

    “I am going to play my part well and I believe, together, other artistes, exhibitors and organizers would team up to make it great,” he pledged, calling on Ghanaians in the Diaspora and in Ghana to participate in such events.

     

  • The Seeds We Throw Away Series

    The Seeds We Throw Away Series

    Avocado in Focus-Part 1

    By: Mohammed Abu

    Generally, mankind takes seeds of the diverse fruits eaten for granted and are thrown away as thrush after enjoying fruit pulps.

    Rather than treating seeds of fruits as components of waste and the pile up of which sometimes become environmental burdens, the philosophy of the emerging circular economy is that, all waste must rather be treated as raw materials.

    Rather than being regarded as a nuisance, they could be turned into a blessing for the creation of additional industries in other to generate employment and wealth. Resource use efficiency is the major objective of the circular economy concept or otherwise put as circularity.

    Seeds of some fruits could either be turned into teas, soup thickeners, food supplements, cooking oils and could be as well be used for the production of medicines for various ailments, beauty care products among others.

    Avocado is one of the common fruits, the seeds of which plus the outer covers are generally wasted when they could be processed into additional foods and other goodies for human consumption.

     Avocado Seed Benefits: What Researchers Say

    Indeed, a lot of write-ups are available on the internet on avocado seed value but what is more authoritative and conclusive is a research article, titled,” A Review on Avocado Seed: Functionality, Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties” published in the Chemical Science International Journal- July 2019 DOI: 10.9734/CSJI/2019/v27i230112

    The article is co-authored by, Tassew Belete Bahru1*, Zinabwa Hailu Tadele1 and Eyasu Gebrie Ajebe1 1 Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Science, Wolkite University, Ethiopia.

    This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author TBB designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author ZHT managed the analyses and edited sessions of the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334653995

    Abstract

    The seed of avocado is considered as one of the non-edible part of the fruit, which are usually discarded as residues and can cause ecological problems. Exploring the possible dietary and therapeutic potentials of especially such underutilized wastes will in addition reduce the possible environmental waste burden.

    The objectives of this review article is to alert the functionality, chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of avocado seed for its use as food and justification for its medicinal use.

    The composition like proximate (protein, fat, ash, moisture, fiber and carbohydreate), minerals (Ca, Zn, K, Na, P, Fe, Cu, Pb and Co), phytochemicals (Flavinoid, Tanine, Saponine, Total phenolics, Antioxidnt capacity, Oxalates, Phytates, Alkaloids) and Vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C and E) were reported to be present in the avocado seed in different proportions.

    Some poisonous phytochemicals are present in fresh seeds of avocado and not in the dry seeds, hence recommended to dry the seeds before processing for consumption. Its biological activities such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, fungicidal, larvicidal, hypolipidemic, amoebicidal and giardicidal activities had been reported.

    Therefore, it can be concluded that, the avocado seed is nutritionally valuable as the other parts of the plant based on the phytochemical and nutrients it constitutes. The consumption of avocado seed is recommendable since it has high nutritional contents that make it enough for possible dietary and ethno-medicinal use.

    Conclusion 

    “There were different studies to investigate the benefits of avocado seed as sources of food supplements or medicinal products. As reviewed from different literatures, the avocado seed is not only important for nutritional value, but also applicable for different medicinal purposes. Researchers investigates the nutritional composition: proximate, minerals and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the avocado seed.

    “Most of them reported that, it possesses nutritional qualities that may be further investigated for application in food industry rather than constituting waste or nuisance to the environment. Its biological activities such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, fungicidal, larvicidal, hypolipidemic, and recently amoebicidal and giardicidal activities had reported.

    “Therefore, it can be concluded that, the avocado seed is nutritionally valuable as the other parts of the plant based on the phytochemical and nutrients it constitutes. The consumption of avocado seed is recommendable since it has high nutritional contents that make it enough for possible dietary and ethno-medicinal”

    Our scientific researchers have spoken and it is indeed a wake-up call. On this note, your favourite, the Ecoenvironews Africa magazine, under “The Seeds We Throw Away” series would be featuring how avocado seed and various other seeds can be turned into tea, edible oils, paste for use as food supplements, ethnobotanical medicines for hypertension, diabetes and many others. Do make it a point to visit us regularly so you don’t miss out on anything.

     

  • Who invented jollof rice?:Senegal beats Ghana and Nigeria to the title

    Who invented jollof rice?:Senegal beats Ghana and Nigeria to the title

    Published: January 18, 2023 5.08pm SAST-Credit(The Conversation)

    The authorship – and therefore origins – of jollof rice (called ceebu jën in Senegal according to the Wolof spelling) is the subject of a spicy debate between West African nations. In particular, Senegalese, Nigerians and Ghanaians claim ownership. And each believes their recipe surpasses all others.

    In a bid to settle the issue we explored the subject in our book. In it we point out the “Senegality” of this dish. The word jollof refers to an ancient kingdom that was a part of Senegal between the 12th and the 13th centuries.

    More broadly, we found that the origin of the dish is linked to a particular period in history – the entrenchment of colonial rule in West Africa. Between 1860 and 1940 the French colonisers replaced existing food crops with broken rice imported from Indochina.

    In time, broken rice came to be much more prized by the Senegalese than whole rice grain.

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    This was followed by what we call le ceebu jën, un patrimoine bien sénégalais – the genius of the natives, especially the Saint-Louisians who set about creating something completely new. Ceebu jën consists of rice and fish, accompanied by vegetables and sometimes tomatoes.

    As it happens in history, when an art reaches a certain fame or notoriety, its paternity becomes an object of controversy. This is what has indeed happened with jollof rice.

    Colonial legacy

    The first act of the settlers was to make all those disconnected from agricultural activities dependent on rice. This included the men and women who had come to try to make their fortune in the markets of Saint-Louis, one of the gateways to the West and, for a good period, the capital of French West Africa.

    If we add teachers, various agents of the administration and the military, we can better understand the pernicious process of rice promotion.

    Overflowing in urban centres, rice was consumed in practically all of the colony of Senegal.

    The success of the rice promotion strategy resulted in the entrenchment of an economy that became increasingly dependent on crops preferred by the colonisers. To this day efforts continue to be made to grow rice in Casamance and the Saint-Louis region.

    At the same time, the exploitation of the market garden areas of Niayes and Gandiol contributed to meeting the population’s need for vegetables.

    Another intriguing part of the history of the dish is the myth that’s developed over centuries around the role of a Senegalese cook called Penda Mbaye who is regularly attached to the name of rice with fish.

    Although no one disputes the connection between the dish and Penda Mbaye, serious information on her identity, on the place and time she lived and on the conditions in which the dish was created is cruelly lacking. This is why we have stated in our book that she left history very quickly to take her place in legend.

    Why the passion?

    To understand the importance of ceebu jën in the diet and imagination of the Senegalese, it would be wise to point out that its attractiveness can’t be reduced to its nutritional value or its intrinsic delicacy.

    This culinary art is closely linked to a know-how and a way of life. Thus, the consumption of the dish is strongly linked to the ceremonial – the aesthetics of the presentation and the service.

    A woman serving ceebu jën. Cellou/AFP via Getty Images.

    The women of Saint Louis, a port city in the northern part of Senegal, are singularly credited with remarkable know-how in this area. Their finesse and elegance is expressed in the way they dress, their speech and their gestures. All are put to good use so that the meal is a moment when they give pleasure by being pleased themselves.

    Stamp of approval

    At the end of 2021 Unesco included the Senegalese version of jollof rice – ceebu jën – on the intangible heritage of humanity list. This certification was recognition of the know-how of the Senegalese of an integral part of an intangible heritage.

    The labelling should also have a positive impact on the economy, particularly tourism, agriculture, fishing and catering. Or, as some would describe it, gastro-diplomacy.

    But to make the most of all these advantages, Senegal must pay more attention to its fishery resources and, above all, settle the recurrent question of self-sufficiency in rice production for good, in order to put an end to the scandalous perversion of feeding on what is not produced.

    Senegal, whose reputation is based more on its cultural influence and diplomacy, has every interest in capitalising on this trend. Thus, in addition to rice with fish, it will have to promote its broader gastronomic heritage to make it an additional asset for the role it intends to play in the concert of nations.

    In this spirit, Senegal’s Food Technology Institute would be given a new lease of life. This public establishment, created in 1963, was assigned the mission of research and development in food and nutrition.

    In its efforts to enhance the rich Senegalese heritage, the institute could set itself the objective of promoting all the remarkable Senegalese consumables based on millet, cowpea, bissap, ditax and (monkey bread) bouye. And to take up this challenge Senegal would be well advised to make use of all the proven expertise of researchers as well as economic players.

    This article was written with the contribution of Alpha Amadou Sy, co-author of the book Ceebu jën, un patrimoine bien Sénégalais.