Carob: Nsinya wa Swakudya Woka Wunga Tirhisiwi Ngopfu

Carob pods - curly or flat - contains a sweet pulp and protein-rich seeds. The pods are used as a chocolate substitute and animal feed while the seeds are ground and used as a thickening agent.

Nsinya wa carobe (Ceratonia siliqua) lowu tivekaka tani hi St John’s Bread i wuntsongo kuya eka vukulu nyana lowu tshamaka wuri rihlaza wuva na matluka wonge i dzovo nyana yo hatima. Wutswala ti seedpods to leha kuringana13 - 30 cm hiku leha letingana ti pulp na chungama leyingana chocolate leyi nyanganyaka, kutani yiva na mbewu yofana na tinyawa endzeni.
Nsinya wa carob ahile kaya ka wona laha Afrika Dzonga kambe kambe wa tshembisa swinene tani hi swakudya swa swifuwo na vanhu tani hi swakudya swale kaya.
Vulavisisi eka nsinya wa carob byi endliwile e USA hi 1949, laha kungana tinxaka tohlawuleka ta kahle xikan’we naletinga antswisiwa, laha tinwana takona tinga tisiwa e Afrika Dzonga. Kuna tinxaka ta 7 leti antswisiweke emisaveni hinkwayo kusuka eka nantswo, vukulu bya pod (ku phambarhala, ku petseka, naku gombonyoka), xikan’we na mbewu na nhlayo ya chukele (kusuka eka 48% - 56%).
Tinxaka ta 5 leti byariwaka laha Afrika Dzonga (ngopfu ngopfu e Western Cape) ti kamberiwe eka vulavisisi hi Department of Food Science yale Stellenbosch University hi 2010. Nhlayo ya chukele (leyi akuri 70% ya sucrose) ayi sukela eka 40 - 54%, ti protein xikan’we na nhlayo ya 17 yati amino acids leti kumekeke, kukatsa 7 wa ti amino acids ta nkoka. Swakudya swotala- xinkwa, ti cereal, masi yon’wa, vuswa na mousse swiendliwile eka vulavisisi lebyi.
Hikwalaho ka vulawuri lebyintsongo lebyi lavekaka, nsinya wa carob wukahle swinene hikuva awu lavi swotala kuwu hlayisa. Nsinya wa carob wuna ndhuma ya kuvaswimilani swa ornamental leswi tirhisiwaka ku khavisa eti nghadeni naku sivela moya. Wu tlhela wukota ku sivela ndzilo hikuva matluka ya wona aya tshwi hiku olova. Ntsandza wakona wutiyerile swinene naswona wu durhiseriwa kuva wuri na ntirho wa kahle eka carpentry. Wutshwa hiku nonoka swinene naswona wukahle loko u lava ku tshivela tani hi tihunyi, laha wunga kahle loko u lava ku oxa nyama.
Ti pods na matluka swikahle swinene tani hi swakudya swa swifuwo swofana na tihomu, timbuti, tinguluve nati donkey. Carob wuna switirhisiwa swotala tani hi swakudya swa vanhu. Wunga dyiwa wutetano kumbe wu katingiwile. Mbewu leyinga kandziwa yitirhisiwa ku endla locust bean gum (a galactomannan), yitirhisiwa tani hi swokukumuxa naku siya nantswo wa chocolate eka swakudya.
Nsinya wa carob wubyariwe kuringana malembe eka matiko yotala yale kusuhi nale Mediterranean sea, ngopfu ngopfu eka maxelo yalawo kun’we nale ka tindzhawu letinga oma nayana na misava yo pfumala swakudya. Vabyari votiveka va nsinya wa carob vakatsa matiko ya Spain Italy, Morocco, Turkey na Portugal. Portugal, kuya hi tinhlayo ta UN, yihumelerise kutlula 40 000 ton ta carob hi lembe ra 2016. Mapa ya carob yatirhisiwa eka ku endla swakudya swa Afrika Dzonga laha ya taka ya huma e Spain.
Mbewu ya carob ayi tirhisiwa tani hiku kala ka ntiko wa nsuku na ndzalama hikuva mbewu ya ringana hi ntikelo wa yona. Rito ‘carat’ rita kusukela eka qīrāṭ leri kunga vito ra xi Arab rovula mbewu.

Ndlela yo Byala Misinya ya Carob

©Jad Issa

Nsinya lowu kulaka hiku nonoka wa carob wunga byariwa kusuka eka mbewu. Mbewu yilava kuvirisiwa kusungula kutani yilovekiwa kuringana masiku manharhu leswaku swita antswisa ku mila ka yona. Mbewu leyi yifanele kubyariwa eka nkatsakanyo wa misava ya sandi exipotwanini (hi ximun’wana na ximumu) eka swibye ha xin’we xin’we kufana na ti khathuni ta khale ta masi. Swimilani swifanele ku simuriwa swiya byariwa loko swiri exikarhi ka 8 - 10 cm hi ku leha. Vona leswaku unga switshovi hikuva timintsu ta swona tiva tingase tiyela kahle loko u simula.
Misinya ya Carob yi trioecious leswi vulaka leswaku yina swirho hinkwaswo swa xinuna na swa xisati naswona tinxaka tin’wana tiva na mabilomu ya xinuna na yaxisati hinkarhi wun’we. Nsinya wun’we wa xinuna wunga kota kupfuneta kwalomu ka 10 - 20 wa misinya ya xisati leswaku yi tswala. Kupfuneta loku ku endliwa hi moya na switsotswana, kambe mbuyelo wale hansi wu vangiwa hiloko kungari na mpfuneto wo ringanela.
Misinya ya carob yikondzelela ngopfu dyandza, moya wa lwandle xikan’we na muxaka wun’wana na wun’wana wa misava e handle ka misava ya vumba na leyi yingana acid. Yitsakela laha kunga oma, kutlhela kuva na maribye. Misinya ya carob ayilavi ku cheletiwa ngopfu, ku noniseriwa misava kumbe ku hungutiwa/tsemetiwa.
Ti pods ta nsinya carob ti tshoveriwa loko kungase fika xixika naswona tifanele ku dzudziwa e henhla ka nsinya hiku tirhisa rimhandzi, tihlengeletiwa kwala hansi ka nsinya kutani tiya omisiwa hi dyambu. Ti pods tiva kona endzhaku 6 - 7 wa malembe naswona kufikela eka 125 kg wati pods tinga tshoveriwa kusuka eka nsinya wunwe lowunga kula (+25 wa malembe). Ntshovelo wa kwalomu ka 2 kg wunga languteriwa kusukela eka nsinya lowungana 6-wa malembe hi vukhale. Tinxaka letinga antswisiwa tiveka mihandzu (pods) loko nsinya wuri na 3 kuya eka 4 wa malembe.
Mavabyi ya nsinya wa carob yantsongo swinene naswona switsotswani swiri swoxe leswi tlangelaka eka nsinya lowu hileswingana magwaxu nati carob moth, Myelois ceratoniae.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni