By Luyolo Chiya
Indigenous African vegetables aren’t just about full meals; they make good ingredients for desserts. Recently, Durban University of Technology students in Journalism collaborated with the Department of Consumer Sciences: Food and Nutrition to develop a dessert recipe out of umdumbulu.
Umdumbulu is an indigenous plant found in South Africa but remains underutilised. In countries like Asia and West Africa, the plant is called cassava and is quite popular. It is a starchy root crop that thrives in poor soil and drought-prone regions and consumed in many ways such as fufu, garri, and cassava flour.
Using umdumbulu to create a delicious dessert
To make umdumbulu cake, the root is grated and mixed with coconut milk, eggs, and sugar. The student also used what he learned from his food science classes. Sbonelo Khuzwayo, who baked the cake, explained that the cake’s chewy texture comes from umdumbulu starch, and the eggs helped keep it firm from a process called the Maillard reaction.
Its nutritional values/benefits
The cake is a rich source of carbohydrates, especially the starch element, making it an energy-giving dish. The cake is also low in protein and fats. It provides small quantities of essential nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Instead of using only sugar, he added honey. He also used light coconut milk instead of full-fat milk. These small changes reduce the fat and sugar levels, but the cake still tastes great.
Be warned!
Khuzwayo said that umdumbulu can be dangerous if not prepared properly. It contains natural cyanide compounds; eating it raw or undercooked may cause poisoning. Symptoms may include nausea, headache, or even paralysis in severe cases. To be safe, the root must always be well peeled, soaked, or fermented and well cooked.
