False yam fruit

What it is

False-yam fruit grows on Icacina oliviformis, a woody herb or shrub with a large underground tuber. The small red fruit has just a thin layer of sweet, jelly-like flesh. That ripe pulp is eaten fresh. The seed kernels and the tuber are poisonous until they have been specially processed.

Where it comes from

The plant grows across tropical Africa, from Senegal to southern Nigeria and farther east into the Central African Republic and Sudan. It lives in savanna scrub, near villages and on old farmland, including yam fields.

In Guinea-Bissau it grows on land left fallow between crops. In Senegal, its fruit has been harvested in the central Kaffrine region. An older botanical name for the same plant is Icacina senegalensis.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Guinea-Bissau, manganaça fruit is eaten fresh for its sweet pulp. Its seeds take a different route to the table: after prolonged boiling and removal of their coverings, they become flour for dishes with meat, fish or vegetables. Processed kernels also combine with millet or beans.

The underground tuber, poisonous raw, has served as famine food after days soaking in running water to remove its bitterness. Fresh pulp, prepared seed flour and processed tuber are three separate foods from one plant.

How it's grown

False yam grows best in tropical places with distinct wet and dry seasons. It needs sun and grows wild in light, sandy soil. It can be raised from seed or by dividing the tuber. Once established, it spreads quickly into newly cleared or cultivated ground.

When and where you'll find it

In Guinea-Bissau, false yam enters local trade as seeds, alongside the fresh fruit eaten where the shrub grows. The seeds harden after removal from the fruit and keep for a long time. The flour used in cooking comes from those specially processed seeds.