White rubber vine fruit

What it is

The fruit is Landolphia owariensis, also called eta. Its shell is reddish-brown, woody and leathery, enclosing white pulp with a sharp edge to its sweetness. The shell contains latex, which can gum up a knife when the fruit is cut open. The pulp is the part used for fresh eating and drinks.

Where it comes from

It grows across tropical Africa, from Guinea east to Sudan and south into Uganda and Tanzania. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kongo Central region, it grows in wooded savanna and forest. Its shape depends on where it grows: a shrub in savanna, and in forest a huge climber whose stems can reach 100 m (330 ft) or more.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Kongo Central, the fruit is eaten raw for its acidic pulp. Its Kongo names include goki, dikuku and disuki. Among Malinké communities around Séguéla in Côte d’Ivoire, it is also a fresh wild fruit; local Dioula names include gbéi and pôpôni.

For a drink, the pulp soaks in water for a few minutes, then sugar is added to taste. The pulp is so acidic that a little makes a lot of drink. The pulp also seasons food and can be fermented into wine.

How it's grown

Much of the fruit comes from wild plants. In forest, the woody stems climb over surrounding trees. Young plants need shade. After a bush fire, its underground stems send up short new shoots, which can flower and fruit even before they turn woody.

When and where you'll find it

Around Séguéla, the fruit enters local trade alongside other gathered fruits of Côte d’Ivoire’s savannas. It also grows in Togo, where ripe fruits have been seen in July at Alédjo, in Bafilo prefecture. The fruit keeps and travels well.