West African Pepper - Spices
generally are part of various plants cultivated for their aromatic pungent or
otherwise desirable substances. Spices consist of rhizomes, bulbs, barks,
flower buds, stigmas, fruit, seeds and leaves. They a re categorized into tiny
wild fruits, nuts, herbs, spices and leafy vegetables. Some of them were not
only used for food, but for medicine in minor ailments by the natives. Results
of the proximate analysis showed that on dry weight basis the crude protein
content ranged from 4.6 to 22.1 percent for spices and herbs, 3.2 to 43. 1 percent
for fruits and nuts, 15.9 to 35.7 percent fro leafy vegetables.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF UZIZA
West African pepper, also known as Ashanti pepper,
Benin pepper, false cubebs, Guinea cubebs, Uziza pepper or (ambiguously)
“Guinea pepper”, called locally kale, kukauzabe, masoro, sasema and sorowisa,
is West African spice that corresponds to the dried fruit of piper guineense.
The plants that provide Ashanti pepper are climbing vines
that can grow up to 20m in length. These are native to tropical regions of
central and Western African and are Semi- cultivated in countries such as Nigeria where
the leaves (known as Uziza) are used as a flavoring for stews. Like other
members off the pepper family. Ashanti
peppers contain 5-8% of the chemical significant proportion (10%) of
myristicin, elemicin, safrole and dillapoil.
In term of flavor, Ashanti pepper is very similar is
cubeb pepper but is much less bitter and has a fresher more herbaceous flavor.
Though known in Europe during the middle ages
(it was a common spice is Roven and Dieppe
in 14th century, France),
these days the use is marginalized of west and central African.
ECONOMIC VALUE OF UZIZA
Healthy living is a lifestyle that requires good
planning. We start our daily activities by taking shower and washing out
mouths. Washing the body and mouth is the morning is refreshing. It places us
in relaxing mood thus allowing us to enjoy our food.
There are too many leaves that cure and which
constitute vegetable we can put into our food while cooking. The first leaves
or vegetables to be introduced is Uziza which is the native name. Uziza is
called piper guinenses is biological notation. The use of Uziza is very rampant
though little is known of its importance in our daily cure and sickness
prevention allergy and running nose. Most doctors do not like the idea of
traditional medication because it will not give them the opportunity to make
money from insurance companies. The Uziza leaves keeps the body warm and
prevent cold.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF UZIZA
Tiny wild fruits, nuts, herbs, spices and leafy
vegetables were characterized and their chemical composition determined. Some
of them were not only used for food but for medicine in minor ailments by the natives. Results of
the proximate analysis showed that on dry
weight basis the crude protein content ranged from 4.6 to 22.1 percent
for spices and herbs, 3.2 to 43.1 percent for fruit and nuts and 15.9 to 35.7
percent for leafy vegetables. The fat (either extract) ranged from 7.5 to 36.0
percent for spices and herbs, 18 to 72. 6 percent for fruits and nuts and 10.6
to 22.6 percent for leafy vegetables. Total carbon-hydrates content ranged from
34.6 to 71.9 percent for species and herbs, 11.3 to 76.1 percent for fruit and
nuts and 24.6 to 51.4 percent for leafy vegetables. The wild fruits, nuts and
leafy vegetables are high in ascorbic acid (vitamin c) ascorbic sample for
fruits and nits and 23mg/ 100g sample for leafy vegetables. The level for
peroxide value and fee fatty acids (as percent oleic acid) of the spices are
generally low indicating good essential oils (as percent oleoresin) content of
the spices/ herbs were fairly high and ranged from 0.1 to 5.2 percent.
In Nigeria,
many fruits, spices, herbs and leafy vegetables used as food are obtained from
he where there may be as many as one thousand species. To date little attempt
has been made to constitute a large proportion of the daily diet of the rural
dwellers. The implication is that several of these species could become extinct
due the forest and to harvest them. The net result is that some of these
“Ogorima” markets.
Indigenous spices and herbs are use generally to
prepare pepper soups which are hot and spicy especially during the cold season.
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