| Plectranthus rotundifolius | |
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| Species: | P. rotundifolius
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| Binomial name | |
| Plectranthus rotundifolius | |
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Solenostemon rotundifolius | |
Plectranthus rotundifolius or Solenostemon rotundifolius, called Chinese potato in Indian English and often referred to as native potato or country potato in Africa, is a perennial herbaceous plant, of the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to tropical Africa, cultivated in parts of West Africa, South Africa, Madagascar, South Asia and Southeast Asia for its edible tubers. Wild varieties are found in the grasslands of East Africa.
It is one of three species of the mint family that produce edible tubers and closely related to the flowering coleus plants familiar to many gardeners outside of these regions as ornamentals. All three of these species are native to Africa and members of the genus Plectranthus (sometimes classified as members of the genus Solenostemon and formerly classified as part of the now defunct genus Coleus). The others are Plectranthus esculentus and Plectranthus edulis, native to southern Africa and Ethiopia respectively. P. rotundifolius is the only one of these tubers whose cultivation has spread beyond the continent of Africa.
Description edit
P. rotundifolius is a erect low-growing semi-succulent bushy plant, with foliage reaching a height of about 30 cm (1 ft). It has serrated or oval leaves growing in opposite pairs on succulent square-sectioned stems which branch out from the base of the plant. Alternating pairs of leaves grow at right angles to each other. Its small blue, purple or pale violet, pinkish white hermaphroditic flowers grow in terminal racemes, or false spikes, above the main body of the foliage. The stems and racemes of most varieties are green, but those of some varieties are brownish green or purple. The leaves of some varieties have a variegated pattern of ___ pigmentation
The tubers are are generally oblong or oval shaped and run around 5 cm (2 in) long. The tubers generally have dark grey or greyish brown skin and white or cream-colored flesh. However, varieties with red or cream-colored skin and deeper reddish-yellow, dark brown, light grey or reddish-purple flesh also cultivated in Africa, and there is considerable variation in the size and shape of the tubers.
The flowers of the cultivated varieties produce few or no seeds.
The greatest variety of cultivars is found in West Africa. The tubers of South Asian varieties are generally somewhat larger than those grown in Africa.
The tubers are small ranging from
"Flesh colour was white in all skin types. However, according to the literature, reddish yellow, dark brown and light grey flesh colours also have been reported (Burkill, 1995)."
"Hausa potato is an erect, semi-succulent annual herb. It is bushy from the base, up to 30 cm tall, prostrate or ascending, and has a succulent stem and somewhat thick leaves (Plate 12)." "It has small flowers, which are blue, pinkish white or pale violet in a distal inflorescence. The flowers are hermaphroditic, produced on an elongated terminal raceme. Small tubers are produced in clusters at the base of the stem." p.60
Elizabeth Acheampong, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
in Quality declared planting material: Protocols and standards for vegetatively propagated crops, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2010
www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1195e/i1195e00.pdf
Burkill, H.M., 1995, The Useful Plants of Tropical West Africa, J-L, vol. 3, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Cultivation edit
P. rotundifolius is tolerant of high temperatures and heavy rain-fall and prefers well-drained, loose or sandy soil and direct sunlight. It produces less well in the shade or dense clayey soil. In dry conditions, the plants may fail to produce tubers. In wet conditions, the tubers are prone to branching, making them more difficult to peel.
The tubers are usually planted in mounds or in raised beds separated by ditches to allow water to drain off in heavy rains. The foliage crowds out other plants, so weeding is usually not required. The tubers are harvested about four to five months after planting, after the plants have flowered and the aerial parts have died back.
Cultivation of P. rotundifolius was once widespread in western and southwestern Africa. Cultivation there is now limited to Burkina Faso, northern Ghana, the Jos Plateau region of Nigeria, parts of southeastern Mali and parts of South Africa. In South Asia, P. rotundifolius it is mostly grown in Sri Lanka and the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is also cultivated in Madagascar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In most areas where it is grown, Plectranthus rotundifolius is a garden or subsistence crop, raised for personal and family consumption and available seasonally at local markets. There is some commercial production in South India, and packaged frozen tubers are available.
Culinary Uses edit
P. rotundifolius tubers have a somewhat sweet taste and a fragrant aroma when cooked. The taste has been compared to sweet potatoes, parsnip and Irish potatoes. Peeling the tubers is tedious
In both West Africa and South India, P. rotundifolius tubers are most commonly pealed, diced, and boiled, and prepared as a spiced vegetable dish to accompany staples such as rice, naan or yam. The tubers can be used as base for a variety South Indian vegetable dishes, such as thoran, mezhukkupuratti, ularthiyathu, erisseri, sukke, upkari and humman.
The tubers can also be roasted and eaten whole as a snack food, a preparation common in parts of West Africa. In Burkina Faso, a stew made from diced P. rotundifolius tubers combined with meat, tomatoes, and other vegetables is popular and served as a main course. A porridge made from the tubers is sometimes served as a breakfast food in northern Ghana. A variety grown in the Jos Plateau region of Nigeria can also be eaten raw.
Medicinal Uses edit
In both India and Africa, a preparation of its boiled leaves is used as a home remedy for dysentery.
History edit
Cultivation in Africa today is mostly limited to Burkina Faso, eastern Mali, northern Ghana, the Jos plateau region of Nigeria, and South Africa, though it was once much more widespread. In India, it is grown mostly in Kerala, Karnataka and southern Tamil Nadu. It is also grown in Sri Lanka, Madagascar. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
zip edit
Cultivars of P. rotundifolius are clonal crops dependent on human intervention for propagation. The plants produce flowers, but usually no seeds. They depend on farmers replanting tubers, sections of tubers or stem cuttings to reproduce. Vegetative reproduction#Artificial vegetative propagation
"still found in the wild in East Africa." - PROTA
In English, the plant has sometimes been called Chinese potato, Coleus potato, Hausa potato, or Fra-Fra potato. It is also referred to as "native potato" and "country potato" (though the latter terms can also refer to other root crops Plectranthus esculentus and Plectranthus edulis ).
The tubers are oval-shaped and smaller than commercial potatoes. They are usually cooked by boiling, but, like potatoes, are also baked and fried. The taste is fairly bland and has been compared to sweet potato or parsnip.
from Lost Crops edit
They are members of the mint family. This 3,000-member family graces human existence with numerous herbs and fragrances, including lavender, mint, spearmint, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, basil, and majoram, but no major root crops. Indeed, Africa’s native potatoes are the only mints producing human food below ground. (p.270)
rotundifolius) is traditionally produced primarily in West Africa while the other (Plectranthus esculentus) is a resource primarily of Southern and East Africa. S. rotundifolius is also cultivated in parts of Asia—notably India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Its fellow species, as far as can be ascertained, is unknown as a crop beyond Africa’s shores. (p. 271)
The “northern” species (S. rotundifolius) is most often referred to as Hausa potato, Sudan potato, Zulu round potato, fabourama, and frafra potato. (271)
Smaller than the modern commercial potato, the tubers of S. rotundifolius are small and oval shaped (271)
The tubers of both crops are mostly boiled, but they can also be roasted, baked, or fried. (271)
The tubers are mostly eaten as cooked vegetables. Like potatoes, they may be boiled, baked, or fried. However, one northern Nigerian type (a form of S. rotundifolius said to be distinguished by dark leaves) has tubers that can be eaten raw (275)
Flour milled from dried native potato (S. rotundifolius, there known as fabourama) is already produced in Burkina Faso, and it is reportedly turned into popular breakfast gruels. (271)
the leaves of the plant are aromatic, but the tubers are neither fragrant nor flavorful. The tubers of P. esculentus have the kind of blandness that is preferred in a staple. The tubers of S. rotundifolius are much sweeter, by comparison. Indeed, people are attracted to them for this very quality. Some liken the taste to sweet potato or parsnip. (p. 271 - 272)
native potato is exclusively a smallholder crop. Indeed, it is almost exclusively a women’s crop. ... The tubers, overwhelmingly employed as subsistence food, make versatile family fare. They are good as a food-security insurance policy. They can, for example, be dried and put away for use during times of shortage. Although native potato is not a cash crop in the modern sense, part of the harvest is commonly put up for sale in the villages. (272)
A standard serving provides a large percentage of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin A (in the form of β-carotene), as well as more than the daily complement of iron. The tubers contain 5-13 percent protein (calculated on a dry weight basis), or up to twice the amount found in potatoes (5 percent). [which plant?] The food-energy content is good as well—almost 400 calories per 100g dry matter in S. rotundifolius tuber. (272)
The literature has so far provided few nutritional details from which to draw conclusions. One early report recorded a S. rotundifolius tuber sample as being 76 percent moisture. Its dry matter consisted of 91 percent carbohydrate, 5 percent crude protein, 4 percent fiber, 4 percent ash, and 1 percent fat. The nutritional energy was 392 calories per 100g.8 (8 This sample was from the West African type called “Hausa potato.” Leung, W. 1968. Food Composition Table for Use in Africa. FAO. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Bethesda, Maryland.)
The recorded yields are ... per hectare ... 15 tons per hectare for S. rotundifolius. (272)
In many locations this is another age-old resource that is dwindling toward obsolescence. And in Chad, where it is known as ngaboyo, it is said to be facing outright extinction. (273)
Tolerance to high temperature and rainfall is a feature of S. rotundifolius, which is widely (if thinly and irregularly) spread across Africa’s tropical lowlands. (274)
(both plants): Propagation is by tubers, setts, stem-cuttings, or suckers sliced from sprouted tubers. However, the standard planting method is using tubers or portions of tubers. At the beginning of the wet season these are planted into mounds, ridges, or rows on prepared beds. (276)
As in potatoes, piling earth around the base of the plants as they grow encourages greater tuber development.(276)
Depending on the place and the plant, the tubers are ready for harvesting after 120-200 days. In the case of S. rotundifolius all the aerial parts have by then flowered and died back. (276-7)
In the case of S. rotundifolius, the large and medium sized tubers are eaten, and the small ones used to establish the new crop. (280)
... there are odd and unconfirmed reports of the young shoots and leaves being used as boiled vegetables. (280) An interesting possibility is that the foliage might prove useful as a flavoring or fragrance. It is now a waste product (281)
P. esculentus edit
The “southern” species (P. esculentus) is most notably referred to as Livingstone potato, Madagascar potato, and scrambled eggs. (271)
[The tubers] of P. esculentus are longer and thinner, extending from the bunch at the base of the plant like fingers. (271)
The tubers of both crops are mostly boiled, but they can also be roasted, baked, or fried. (271)
The flavor ... of P. esculentus as served in South Africa, is described as “quite a pleasant minty taste.” (271)
the protein of P. esculentus is well endowed with essential amino acids (threonine, tyrosine, methionine, valine, leucine, lysine, etc.)5 A serving thus contributes a fair portion of the daily protein requirement. 5) Allemann, J., 2002. Evaluation of Plectranthus esculentus N.E.Br. as a potential vegetable crop. PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Recent studies on the nutritional value of P. esculentus in South Africa recorded (on a dry-weight basis): 81 percent carbohydrate, 13.5 percent crude protein, 4 percent ash, and 1 percent fat. In addition, the tuber material contained (in mg per 100g of plant material): vitamin A (0.2), thiamin (0.04), riboflavin (0.06), vitamin B-6 (0.3), phosphorus (337), potassium (1,721), calcium (140), magnesium (327), zinc (3.5), copper (1), manganese (1.4), sodium (73), and iron (50).9 9) Allemann, op. cit. Figures are in grams per 100g plant material and are measured on a dry-weight basis.
Picture of P. esculentus (274)
P. esculentus prefers dryer conditions but is also in moist regions parts of South and East Africa.(274)
P. esculentus produces reasonable yields in South Africa with annual rainfall as low as 450mm, although the rain must be well distributed through the season for the plants to produce under such parched conditions. (275)
The recorded yields are 4 to 7 tons per hectare for P. esculentus (272)
P. esculentus, on the other hand, does not flower at the end of the summer growing season. Instead, it drops its leaves and goes into a dormant phase during the winter. With the warmth of spring, flowers pop out of the leafless stems, after which these stems die back and new fresh growth emerges from the tubers underground. For this reason, the plant is seldom seen to flower when cultivated. (277)
The standard method of propagating P. esculentus involves planting portions of the tubers, (280)
Names edit
This list is from Lost Crops p. 282, It does not distinguish between P. esculentus and S. rotundifolius, and contains errors. I'm not using these with out checking them.
Afrikaans: Wilde aartappel
Burkina Faso: fabourama
- // fabirama // Le fabirama en dioula, ou peinssa en mooré
Mali: fabourama
English: Livingstone potato, wild potato, country potato, Hausa potato, Madagascar potato, coleus potato, Sudan potato, scrambled eggs, Zulu round potato (S. rotundifolius), elongated native potato, Swedish begonia
- // salanga // salaga
French: Madagascar potato
Ghana: fra-fra potato
- // pesa, pessa
Nigeria: saluga, tumuku, Rizga (Hausa)
- rizga = P. esculentus
www.ajol.info/index.php/jasr/article/view/67586/55701
(source for tumuku)
Chad: ngaboyo
Tswana: umbondive(ck)
Venda: Mutada, Matheta
Zulu: Umbondive, Ibonda, Ugilo, Ulucanqu, Uluhlaza, Isisqwili, Ushizane, Umhlati, ulujilo, Imbondwe, uJwangu, uShizan, uJilo, uJikwe, uHlazaluti, iZambhane
- potato
Sudan: Fa-Birama
India: koorka, koorkan, kizhangu
- Koorka ( ml: കൂർക്ക) is Malayalam. Variant forms koorkka, kookka and kooka also occur.)
- Kizhangu is Tamil and Malayalam for "tuber" (கிழங்கு and കിഴങ്ങ്).
- “Koorka / Sheema Kizhangu” in Malayalam and “Soppur Kooke” in Konkani // Koorka ('chivakizhnagu' in Malayalam) // koorka kizhangu(chinese potato) // Koorka-kizhangu (M), Siru kizhangu (T). // sambrali (in Kannada)
- Kannada: ಸಂಬ್ರಾಲಿ saṃbrāli
Indonesia: ketang, kentang dwaja
- id:Kentang hitam atau kentang kleci
- Javanese: kentang ireng, Sundanese: huwi kentang
Malaysia: kembili, ubi kembili
- ms:Ubi keling: "Di Indonesia, ia juga dikenali sebagai kentang Jawa atau kentang Ireng."
- ( < Keling)
Sri Lanka: innala, ratala
- // Sinhala: Innala // ඉන්නල (Coleus Rotundifollius හෝ Solenastemon Rotundifolius)
Thai: man-khinu, man-nu
Malawi: buye, nyumbu, njowe, cezani
Siswati: Mlata
Shona: Shezha, Tsenga, Tensa, Tsenza
Tswana: Makwele e Sechuana
Sotho: Tapole emahlo (wild), Tapole-ea-mahlo
Xhosa: Itapile
Malagasy: ofimamy (?) Histoire de la grande isle Madagascar - Étienne de Flacourt, Claude Allibert p. 518
- voamitsa, voamitso (Sakalava dialect) -- but ofimamy might refer to Dioscorea
Minianka: oussou-ni-fing (one colonial text)
Bambara: oussou-ni-gue
Les ressources agricoles et forestières des colonies françaises, Henri Jumelle, (Barlatier) 1907, p. 167-168 (Google ebook)
MANDING-BAMBARA usu ni fin (JB) usu ni gé (JB) MANINKA ...
West African: GUINEA-BISSAU BIAFADA befaba (JDES) FULA-PULAAR (Guinea-Bissau) tife (JDES) MALI MANDING-BAMBARA fa-birama from Birama, the na SENEGAL MANDING-BAMBARA usu ni fin (JB) usu ni gé (JB) MANINKA fabirama (JB) SIERRA LEONE TEMNE an-bero (JMD)
http://plants.jstor.org/upwta/3_64 Entry for Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir.) JK Morton [family LABIATAE]
Mandinka & Bambara (Mali): fa-birama
Manianka: fabirama (JB)
Mandinka (Mandinka): usu ni fin (JB) usu ni gé (JB)
Bambara: oussou-ni-gue
Minianka: oussou-ni-fing
Manianka: fabirama (JB)
Dioula: fabirama
Mooré (Mossi): peinssa
Western Sahel edit
Mandinka: fa-birama, usu ni fin. usu ni gé
Bambara: fa-birama, oussou-ni-gue usu ni gé
Manianka: fabirama. usu ni fin, oussou-ni-fing
Dioula: fabirama
Tables edit
| English Terms |
|---|
| Chinese potato Coleus potato country potato Frafra potato Hausa potato koorka Madagascar potato native potato Sudan potato |
| French Terms |
| pomme de terre de Madagascar pomme de terre du Soudan pomme de terre d'Afrique coléus à tubercules |
konkani: kukka, kooka
" कूक (kuuka) = a vegetable that grown underground and is called kokum" http://www.savemylanguage.org/konkani/worddetails.php?word=kuuka
" कूक (kuuk) = sabrani"
Kannada: samrani
ಅಮ್ಬಲಿ ಗೆಣಸು ambali genasu = aerial yam
Malayalam: kūrkka (koorka, koorkka)
Tamil: siru kizhangu சிறு கிழங்கு ciṟu kiḻaṅku confirmed J. P. Fabricius's Tamil and English dictionary. 4th ed. (ciṟu means "little", so "little root" or "little tuber")
umbi gembili = Dioscorea esculenta
P. rotundifolius has no common vernacular name across varieties of English. It is called "Chinese potato" in India (a misnomer since the plant has no connection with China), and less commonly "coleus potato". The name "Hausa potato" refers to it's cultivation in northern Nigeria. Elsewhere in Africa, it is often referred to as "country potato" or "native potato", though regionally these terms can also refer to the related species P. esculentus and P. edulis. In South Africa, both P. rotundifolius and P. esculentus are grown, and the names "native" or "Zulu potato" can refer to both. P. rotundifolius goes by a wide variety of names in languages spoken in areas where it is grown. P. rotundifolius has no common vernacular name across varieties of English. It is called "Chinese potato" in India (a misnomer since the plant has no connection with China), and less commonly "coleus potato". The name "Hausa potato" refers to it's cultivation in northern Nigeria. Elsewhere in Africa, it is often referred to as "country potato" or "native potato", though regionally these terms can also refer to the related species P. esculentus and P. edulis. In South Africa, both P. rotundifolius and P. esculentus are grown, and the names "native" or "Zulu potato" can refer to both. P. rotundifolius goes by a wide variety of names in languages spoken in areas where it is grown.
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| Africa | |
| Dioula | fabirama |
| Frafra | pesa, pessa |
| French | pomme de terre de Madagascar pomme de terre du Soudan pomme de terre d'Afrique coléus à tubercules |
| Hausa | tumuku |
| Indonesian | kentang hitam kentang Jawa kentang kleci |
| Javanese | kentang ireng |
| Malay | ubi keling ubi kembili |
| Malayalam | കൂർക്ക koorka |
| Mossi (Mooré) | peinssa |
| Sinhala | ඉන්නල innala |
| Vernacular names | ||
|---|---|---|
| Region | Language | Term |
| Europe and International | ||
| English | Chinese potato Coleus potato Hausa potato Frafra potato Madagascar potato Sudan potato native potato country potato | |
| French | pomme de terre de Madagascar pomme de terre du Soudan pomme de terre d'Afrique coléus à tubercules | |
| Africa | ||
| Dioula | fabirama | |
| Frafra | pesa, pessa | |
| Hausa | tumuku | |
| Mandinka Bambara |
fa-birama. fabirama (fabourama) usu ni gé (oussou-ni-gué) usu ni fin (oussou-ni-fing) | |
| Minianka | fabirama | |
| Mossi (Mooré) | peinssa | |
| South Asia | ||
| Konkani | कूक kūka (kooka) | |
| Malayalam | കൂർക്ക kūrkka (koorka, koorkka) | |
| Sinhala | ඉන්නල innala | |
| Tamil | சிறு கிழங்கு ciṟu kiḻaṅku (siru kizhangu) | |
| South East Asia | ||
| Indonesian | kentang hitam kentang Jawa kentang kleci | |
| Javanese | kentang ireng | |
| Malay | ubi keling | |
| South and South East Asia | |
|---|---|
| Indonesian | kentang hitam kentang kleci kentang Jawa |
| Javanese | kentang ireng |
| Malay | ubi keling |
| Malayalam | കൂർക്ക kūrkka (koorka, koorkka) |
| Sinhala | ඉන්නල innala |
| Tamil | சிறு கிழங்கு ciṟu kiḻaṅku (siru kizhangu) |
| Header text | Header text | Header text |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example |
That's about it for names.
Names:
Lists of vernacular names are very much prone to error, both from typos
Lost crops of Africa's list contains several obvious mistakes: "kentang dwaja" is a typo for kentang Djawa, an old Indonesian spelling of kentang Jawa ("Javanese kentang), "kizhangu" means "tuber" in Malayalam and Tamil () it's not a specific name for P. rotundifolius in either language
I've only included names I can verify are real
Names I haven't included are: Kannada: sambrali Tamil: siru kizhangu Thai: man khinu, man nu Malagasy: ofimamy
Sources edit
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001055/105546E.pdf
http://hebdo.farmradio.org/2009/03/30/la-pomme-de-terre-de-madagascar-relancer-une-culture-utile-en-voie-de-disparition/ La pomme de terre de Madagascar : Relancer une culture utile en voie de disparition
Agro Radio Hebdo (Farm Radio Weekly) - interview
Nota : le nom scientifique de cette pomme de terre est Solenostemon rotundifolius. En voici quelques noms vernaculaires : Anglais : frafra potato, Hausa potato, Sudan potato, coleus potato Français : pomme de terre de Madagascar, pomme de terre du Soudan Burkina Faso et Mali : fabourama Tchad : ngaboyo Hausa : tamaka Nigeria : saluga, tamuku Éthiopie : vatke (Plectranthus edulis (Vatke) Agnew (Ethiopian potato), which differs in its trailing stems rooting on the nodes, irregularly shaped tubers and ascending hairy inflorescences with bright blue flowers. - PROTA) Soudan : fa-birama
Sources d’information
Nkansah, G.O., 2004. Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir.) Record from Protabase. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A., rédacteurs. PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Pays-Bas. http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Solenostemon%20rotundifolius_En.htm Lost Crops of Africa, Volume 2: Vegetables. Chapitre 15, pages 268-285. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11763 Root Crops (2e édition). National Resources Institute, 1987.
(English version)
http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Solenostemon%20rotundifolius_En.htm PROTA
Correct citation of this article: Nkansah, G.O., 2004. Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir.) J.K.Morton In: Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA 2: Vegetables/Légumes. [CD-Rom]. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands.
[www.academicjournals.org/jsppr/abstracts/abstracts/abstracts2011/16%20Dec/Ukpabi%20et%20al.htm[predatory publisher]] Culinary and sensory characteristics of Hausa potato (Solenostemon rotundifolius) and Livingstone potato (Plectranthus esculentus) tubers in Nigeria - Ukpabi Joseph Ukpabi*, Emmanuel Oti and Nkeiru Joy Ogbogu
[1][www.rogerblench.info/.../Little-known%20African%20tubers.pdf] LESSER-KNOWN AFRICAN TUBER CROPS AND THEIR ROLE IN PREHISTORY, Roger Blench, Mallam Dendo, 28 December 2004.
p. 5: Plectranthus tuber cultivated in Madagascar is P. rotundifolius. "Its cultivation is not recorded in any intervening locations between East Africa and India." "... the Hausa potato can be cultivated with very little attention. Once it has begun to yield, if a few pieces of the tuber are left in the ground when it is cropped each year, it will regrow without further attention."
Also discusses Aerial yam, Dioscorea bulbifera.
afm.cirad.fr/documents/5_Agro_Industries/ALISA/FR/Burkina.pdf "Les pratiques alimentaires à Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Céréales, légumineuses, tubercules et légumes",Yaméogo Charlotte KONKOBO, Abdoul Rachidi KARIMOU, Sophie KABORE, Karim DIASSO; CNRST, CIRAD © Cirad 2002 ISBN 2-87614-511-1
p. 93 "Le fabirama en dioula, ou peinssa en mooré (Solenostemon rotundifolius), est un tubercule de petite taille (5 à 7 cm de long), dont la peau est noire et la chair pourpre. Ce tubercule est cultivé du sud du pays jusqu’au plateau mossi, et vendu en yoruba (unité de mesure) sur les marchés, auprès des détaillants. Dans les zones de production, un grand plat est utilisé pour les transactions. Produit agricole traditionnel, le fabirama est consommé dans 49,6 % des ménages"
Les practiques alimentaires p.86: "Le ragoût d’igname est obtenu par cuisson du tubercule préalablement épluché, découpé et lavé. Cette cuisson se fait dans une sauce. L’évolution du maraîchage [increasing availability of early seasonal vegetables] a entraîné une amélioration de la sauce de ragoût. Avant, le minimum de légumes entrait dans la préparation de cette sauce, mais de nos jours, une multitude de légumes est utilisée pour la préparation de la sauce de ragoût, surtout dans les milieux aisés. Les ingrédients utilisés pour la préparation du ragoût sont essentiellement l’huile, la viande, le sel, le persil, l’ail, la tomate fraîche, la purée de tomate, le bouillon cube, le poivre, le féfé, le laurier, la carotte..."
Les practiques alimentaires p. 92: "Le ragoût de fabirama se prépare pratiquement comme les autres ragoûts (igname et patate). Cependant, la taille du tubercule rend pénible la tâche d’épluchage [peeling]. En effet, certaines ménagères sont obligées de les frotter dans du sable pour faire partir la peau avant de préparer le ragoût. Cela nécessite donc un bon lavage afin que les tubercules soient dépourvus du moindre grain de sable. Pour éviter cette opération de frottage, certaines ménagères font bouillir d’abord les tubercules avant de les passer dans la sauce. Les ingrédients et les équipements mobilisés sont identiques à ceux utilisés pour les ragoûts d’igname et de patate."
Comments edit
The term Madagascar potato seems to be used, like a lot of the other names listed here, to refer to both P. rotundifolius and P. esculentus. I haven't been able to confirm that P. rotundifolis is grown in Madagascar at all, although one of the two species must have been at one point.