Description
Egusi is used primarily in West Africa for its de-hulled seeds, which thicken soups as a flour, are a great snack whole, make a paste like peanut butter, and have a high oil content. Egusi is the name for many species of cucurbits (melons, watermelons, and gourds) whose seeds are used for this purpose.
Similar to Callaloo, egusi is a category of crops based on their similar function. See the Lost Crops of Africa volume II for a short list of species and lots of great info about this important seed crop. They mention that egusi is mostly grown by women, and that improvements in the promotion and sales of this seed will bring up the “egusi wage”, which is defended by women farmers of all ages as their standard of living depends on it.
We are very grateful to have sourced our seed from Serendipity Seeds, who called this variety Egusi-itoo (Cucumeropsis mannii), though we believe this may actually be another Egusi species: Brown-Seeded Melon from Nigeria (Citrullus lanatus). The seeds are fat, white, and beautiful, and according to Truelove Seeds apprentice Amirah, who requested we grow this crop, the flesh is the essence of bitterness. We are so grateful that it seemed happy in our hoop house, and excited to deepen our relationship to its seeds and its story.
Known as: Egusi, Agushi, Egusi Bara, Gusi Abara, Bitter Melon
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