By Ashley Capps | Project Leader
As Autumn sees the days grow shorter and cooler in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is lifting its tender green head in the Southern Hemisphere. And in Zimbabwe, where the next installment of our Planetary Pulse Project takes place, November marks the beginning of the planting and growing season. There, through our Planetary Pulse partners Seed Programs International, select farmers and growers in need will receive improved varieties of cowpea seeds to incorporate into their farms and gardens.
Cowpeas are indigenous to Africa, where they were first domesticated and were one of the earliest crops to ever be farmed. Their ability to thrive in arid regions with sandy soils and little rainfall have made cowpeas an important crop in much of the continent, and never more so than now, with climate change driving increased heat and drought around the world.
Also known to many of us as black-eayed peas, in Africa protein-packed cowpeas are traditionally used in stews and curries, or ground into flour or paste. The leaves, similar to spinach, are also widely eaten. According to the authors of The Lost Crops of Africa:
"Traditional West African cooking has found a variety of uses for this food. There, most cowpeas are cooked with vegetables, spices, and palm oil to produce a thick soup that accompanies the basic staple, notably cassava, yam, or plantain. The seeds are also decorticated, ground into a flour, mixed with chopped onion and spices, and pressed into cakes that are either deep-fried (akara balls) or steamed (moin-moin). Some are ground or crushed into meal that is used in buns, fritters, and sauces. Cowpea meal is also boiled, mashed, and served in puddings, porridges, and soups. The seeds are commonly boiled with maize, eaten as porridge, or even boiled in their pods. Alternatively they may be steamed or fried to make a paste or sauce that is often eaten with ugali or other thick starchy staple."
While cowpeas may be familiar to you as a basic black-eyed pea side dish, consider exploring their diverse role in other global cuisines, including these savory recipes from Zimbabwe. Check out this hearty Nyemba Stew from Zimbo Kitchen, and these fragrant, multi-flavor Cowpea Pancakes from Naturally Zimbabwean. And stay tuned for updates on the next installment of the Planetary Pulse Project!
Links:
By Ashley Capps | Project Leader
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
