Lost Crops of Africa Volume II: Vegetables (2006) / Chapter Skim
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13 Marama
13 Marama
Pages 234-245
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From page 234... ...
Drawing courtesy of PROTA (prota.org) ; redrawn and adapted by Achmad Satiri Nurhaman
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From page 235... ...
Moreover, the life-giving propensities of this resilient species are by no means restricted to food. The plant probably survives the seemingly interminable droughts by drawing on water stored in its tuber, which in dry years shrinks dramatically.
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From page 236... ...
The plant withstands blistering summer temperatures apparently with ease. In addition, it survives low winter temperatures, especially the freezing nights of the Kalahari.
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From page 237... ...
On its web page, one South African university refers to marama as "a versatile legume and potentially highprotein, sustainable food crop for Africa." It also calls it the "magic marama bean, the green gold of Africa." But everyone should realize that there's many a challenge to be overcome before its promise is realized even in the lowest degree. Humid Areas Although this is an extremely interesting species for any plant lover to work with, its prospects as a useful crop in the humid tropics do not seem high.
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From page 238... ...
It has a pleasant nutty odor and agreeable taste, is similar to almond oil in consistency and appearance, and appears suitable for use in cooking and foods. It is a polyunsaturated oil and seems a good source of linoleic acid, one of the nutritionally essential fatty acids.
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From page 239... ...
Indeed, its protein proved superior in nutritional quality to most common legume crops, such as garden bean and pea. It had more albumin and less globulin than soybean protein, making it more digestible and more readily available to the body.2 The seeds are a great source of food energy as well.
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From page 240... ...
According to one correspondent, an excess of roasted seeds has a strong purging effect, but this is not widely reported. Like soybean, the marama contains a potent trypsin inhibitor activity.
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From page 241... ...
The residual meal left after oil extraction contains about 50 percent protein and should be valuable for food and feed uses, but nutritional and analytical trials are necessary to undercover any undesirable factors. Horticultural Development Marama bean is not yet ready for large-scale cultivation but agronomic research is nonetheless badly needed.
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From page 242... ...
Tuber Development The tubers warrant particular attention: composition, growth rate, occurrence of nonastringent types, and production potential in small plots should all be investigated. Harvesting In the long term the greatest barrier to development of this plant may prove to be the mechanical one of how to gather the crop, both seed and tuber, from this sprawling, awkward-to-handle plant.
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From page 243... ...
A Schreiber Synonyms Bauhinia esculenta Burchell Family Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae Common Names Afrikaans: Braaiboontjie, elandsboontjie pitte, gemsbokboontjie English: gemsbok bean, gemsbuck bean, tamami or thamani berry Thonga: marumama !
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From page 244... ...
It is particularly prominent on the brick-red sand of the inland Namib Desert. Grows on deep sand but also where there are outcrops of dolomite; also has been grown on neutral shaly soils.
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From page 245... ...
The seeds can be eaten green, but ripe seeds are usually roasted, peeled, and pounded into a pleasant-tasting, coarse meal. The plant has been cultivated as an ornamental in South Africa and, given research, might also become a useful food crop for arid zones.
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