Sweet detar

What it is

The round or oval fruit is slightly flattened, about 2.5–4.5 cm (1–1¾ in) across, and yellowish when ripe. Around its single seed lies roughly 1 cm (⅜ in) of greenish pulp. That pulp is fibrous and mealy: it has a floury texture rather than a gush of juice. Sweet detar, Detarium microcarpum, belongs to the legume family.

Where it comes from

Its range crosses the drier parts of West and Central Africa, from Senegal and The Gambia east to Sudan. It grows in open woodland and wooded savanna. This is the dry-country member of the Detarium group; its relative Detarium senegalense grows beside rivers and in dry forest.

How it's eaten where it grows

Where it grows, the sweet pulp is eaten straight from the fruit and also goes into cakes and couscous, where it can stand in for sugar. The seeds and leaves are eaten too, as a condiment and a vegetable.

The seed also makes a different ingredient. Its flour is a traditional flavouring and thickener, and it's rich in gums that dissolve in water. Pulp supplies sweetness; the separately processed seed flour helps give a dish body.

How it's grown

Sweet detar is a small tree reaching about 10 m (33 ft), with a spreading root system and an irregular crown. It grows on shallow, stony ground and hills, and forms part of traditional farming landscapes in the Sahel. The tree sends up new shoots from roots and trunks. Pruning encourages fruit production on young branches.

When and where you'll find it

Fruit is usually harvested from March to May. Dried fruit also travels through local markets: Guindi, in Chad’s Mayo-Kebbi West region, is one such place. The fruit keeps for one to three years in jute bags, so the dry form carries the crop well beyond picking time.