Emndenini omkhulu futhi ohlukahlukene we-Zingiberaceae, isitshalo esisodwa sigqama ngokunambitheka kwaso okuyingqayizivele kanye nezakhiwo zokwelapha: I-Aframomum melegueta, eyaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi izinhlamvu zepharadesi noma upelepele wengwenya. Lesi sinongo esinephunga elimnandi, esidabuka eNtshonalanga Afrika, sekungamakhulu eminyaka sisetshenziswa ekuphekeni kwendabuko kwase-Afrika nasemithini yesintu.

Ngembewu yayo encane, emnyama efana nama-peppercorns, i-Aframomum melegueta yengeza okubabayo, ukukhahlela okusawolintshi ezitsheni, inikela ngephrofayili yokunambitheka eyingqayizivele eyenza ihluke kwezinye izinongo ezidumile. Imbewu ivame ukuthoswa noma ibiliswe ngaphambi kokuba yengezwe esitsheni, esobho, nakuma-marinades, lapho ikhipha ukunambitheka kwayo okubabayo, okufudumele nokubabayo kancane.

“Izinhlamvu zepharadesi zinambitheka eyinkimbinkimbi futhi engavamile engafudumeza futhi iqabule,” kusho uChef Marian Lee, isazi esidumile se-gastronom ogxile ekuphekeni kwase-Afrika. Bengeza isinongo esihlukile esihambisana kahle nezitsha ezinoshukela nezimnandi ngokufanayo.

Ngokungeziwe ekusetshenzisweni kwayo kwezokupheka, i-Aframomum melegueta nayo ihlonishwa ngezakhiwo zayo zokwelapha. Abelaphi bendabuko base-Afrika basebenzisa lesi sinongo ukuze belaphe izifo ezihlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa ukuphazamiseka kokugaya ukudla, imfiva nokuvuvukala. Ucwaningo lwanamuhla lubonise ukuthi lesi sitshalo siqukethe izinhlanganisela eziningana ezine-antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, kanye nemisebenzi elwa namagciwane.

Naphezu kokuthandwa kwalo e-Afrika, izinhlamvu zepharadesi zahlala zingaziwa emazweni aseNtshonalanga kwaze kwaba seNkathini Ephakathi, lapho abahwebi baseYurophu bethola lezi zinongo lapho behlola ugu lwaseNtshonalanga Afrika. Kusukela lapho, i-Aframomum melegueta ithole ukuqashelwa kancane kancane njengesinongo esibalulekile, njengoba isidingo sikhula eminyakeni yamuva nje ngenxa yesithakazelo esikhulayo sokudla komhlaba wonke kanye namakhambi emvelo.

Njengoba umhlaba uqhubeka nokuthola izinzuzo eziningi ze-Aframomum melegueta, ukuthandwa nokufunwa kwayo kulindeleke ukuthi kukhule. Ngokunambitheka kwaso okuyingqayizivele, izici zokwelapha, nokubaluleka komlando, lesi sinongo esingavamile siqinisekile ukuthi sizohlala siyisisekelo kokubili ukudla kwase-Afrika nasemhlabeni wonke amakhulu eminyaka ezayo.

Ukuze uthole ulwazi olwengeziwe nge-Aframomum melegueta nezinhlelo zayo ezihlukahlukene, vakashela iwebhusayithi yethu ku-www.aframomum.org noma uthinte isitolo sakho sasendaweni sokudla okukhethekile ukuze uthole isampula yalezi zinongo ezimangalisayo.