473. V. unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Syn. V. sinensis End!.), Cowpea, Kaffir bean, 



Black-eyed pea. 

 Khobwe, nseula (N), ngunde (Y, Tu), inandala (Nk), isokolo (Su). 



A variously prostrate, procumbent or climbing herb; leaflets 3; flowers in 6-12 

 flowered racemes; pods pendulous, long, narrow in clusters. 



At least two types are recognized in the Southern Province, nseula, with smaller 

 pods and beans, as distinct from ngunde or khobwe with larger pods and beans. Grown 

 all over the country at all elevations, particularly where Phaseoliis vulgaris does not 

 flourish. 



A. The beans and pods. 



The seeds, dried or fresh, are cooked as a side-dish. They may be boiled in 

 their skins or with the latter removed as cipere. They take about 2-3 hours to 

 cook when dry and about 1 hour when fresh. They are boiled together with whole 

 maize or maize from which the bran has been removed by pounding. The mixture, 

 cingowe, is commonly eaten by the aCewa in the Kota Kota District especially 

 during the hoeing season. The same dish, called ngata is in common use among the 

 aKonde in Karonga District and often takes the place of the main meal of the day. 

 The fresh pods are boiled and when soft, the beans are eaten one by one as an extra 

 food, mikowe. The young pods are commonly cooked for side-dishes in the Southern 

 Province, they are eaten cooked alone or mixed with the fresh beans or with other 

 leaves. 



The skins are rather tough and there is a slight acrid taste to the beans but in 

 spite of this, the beans are well liked, especially where haricots are not to be found. 

 The beanrj are well liked by Europeans in the West Indies, especially in the form of 

 soup. 



Cooking and Palatability Trials. 



Three kinds of cowpeas were tested, the local variety, small (200 to 1 oz.) 

 with purple markings and two kinds from Salisbury, nyemba I and nyemba II. 

 The former was fawn-green and the latter fawn with fine purple markings. They 

 were both larger beans, (130 and 140 seeds respectively to 1 ounce) than the local 

 kind. 



All three kinds took 2 J-3 hours to cook, the flesh was soft in a very much shorter 

 time but cooking was continued until the rather tough skins split. They all had 

 the distinctive slightly acrid flavour which is mainly in the skin. 



B. The leaves. 



Mtambe (N), makangata (Y), matapa a khobwe (Ngu), masamba a nyemba (Se), 

 mpangwe ya ngunde (Tu), mintambani (To), iciunkhundya (Nk), liwoga lya 

 sokolo (Su), khwanya (Kota Kota Lake-shore), mkhwani (Port Herald). 



(1) Fresh leaves. 



The young shoots and the blades of the older leaves are cooked as a side-dish. 

 If the leaves are getting tough or are needed quickly, a small amount of soda or 

 potashes is added. Sometimes the leaves are left in the sun before cooking to lessen 

 their bitterness. The product is very well liked, provided that groundnuts and 

 tomatoes are added. Yao and Mang'anja women do not use the leaves to any 

 great extent, they prefer the green beans. The other tribes, however, make great 

 use of the leaf, which is in season from February to April (Kota Kota District). 



(2) The dried leaves, mfutso. 



Dried leaves are prepared for use later in the year during the dry season. The 

 preparation begins as soon as they are plentiful and the weather is suitable. 



Several baskets of leaves are picked ; this takes a long time so that the women 

 usually leave for the garden early and come back to the village at about midday. 

 They then remove the stalks and spread the leaves for a preliminary drying in the 

 sun. Various reasons are given for this first drying, that otherwise the leaves will 



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