Irvingia - Products

Products

The fruits can be eaten freshly, that is why the name African mango is used for dika. The fruits are processed into jelly, jam, juice and sometimes even wine. The pulp has also been used to prepare black dye for cloth coloration. Compared to the seed the fruit is only a tiny resource. The episperm of the fruit has to be cracked open to get to the seed. Seeds, also called dika nut, are eaten raw or roasted. Mostly however they are pounded to butter or a chocolate like block. Seeds can be pressed to produce an edible oil (solid at ambient temperatures) or margarine which are used for cooking. The oil can also be processed further to soap, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. The press cake can be used as cattle feed or as thickening agent for soup. Seeds can be ground or crushed and used as thickening and flavoring agent in soups and stews. This food-thickening property is thought to be caused by mucilaginous polysaccharides, which become more viscous with cooking and is called "drawability". They can also be made into a cake called „dika bread“ for preservation. For various medicinal use mostly bark and leaves are utilized. It is employed as a purgative, for gastrointestinal and liver conditions, for hernias and urethral discharge or to sores and wounds. The wood is very hard and therefore usually used for heavy construction work as making ship decks or railway ties. Dead branches are used as firewood. The trees are used in agroforestry systems to shade other crops, especially cocoa and coffe. They are also used to reduce erosion. Cities start using it to shade streets, as shelter belts of for beautification. Thousands of tons of Dika seeds are traded each year. This happens mostly within Africa, but export to the USA starts. As a cash crop Dika produces income.

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