African locust bean (parkia species) and its west african fermented food product, dawadawa

African locust bean (Parkia species) is a perennial tree legume. It plays an important part in traditional agriculture, but has not entered commercial trade to any significant extent. Parkia trees are found in Africa, South‐East Asia and tropical South‐America.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, the whole pods, including seeds of Parkia speciosa, are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable known as petal. In West Africa, from Gambia to Cameroun, the beans of the Savannah species, P. blglobosa, are widely fermented to the traditional dawadawa, while the yellow pericarp pulp is eaten as a fresh food, dozim.

Small quantities of dawadawa are used as a protein and fat‐rich flavoursome ingredient of the traditional soups and stews eaten in West Africa. It contributes useful amounts of lysine and riboflavin, which are deficient in the diet in the region.

Dawadawa is an interesting example of the use of fermentation as a low‐cost method of food preservation.

Key words:

• African locust bean
• Parkia
• legume
• Petai
• Fermented food
• Dawadawa
• West Africa