Carissa yisukela eka vito ra xi-India ra swimilani swa muxaka lowu, lexi dzungaka nakuva na phoyizeni eka mahanti ya xona lexivuriwaka carrisin. ‘Bispinosa’ swivula ma longo yambirhi naswona swiyimela ti spine ta xivumbeko xa foroko eka ximilani lexi. ‘Num num’ swifambelana na vunandzi lebyi ubyi kumaka loko u dya mihandzu leyintsongo leyi tsokombelaka swinene…Num nums tifikisiwe e America hi malembe yava 1880’s laha sweswi kunga ximilani xa ndhuma e California nale Florida. Endzhaku xiye xiya fikisiwa nale ka matiko yanwana yofana na Israel, Puerto Rico, Philippines na India.
Mihandzu ya Num num iya oval naswona yisukela eka 1,5 kuya eka 5 cm hivukulu swiya hitinxakaxaka ta yona. Mihandzu leyi yi vupfa yiva yotshuka naswona yinga khiwa kusukela hi March kuya eka October. Loko yi khiwile yitsemeleriwa, mihandzu leyi yi humesa mafi yobasa kufana na masi yanene (‘milk’). Mihandzu leyi Num num yifuwile hiti vitamin C, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) na phosphorus (P) yitlhela yiva na pectin yale henhla leyi pfunaka kutshamisekisa jamu yale hansi kufana na strawberry. Mbewu yakona yovevuka ya dyiwa naswona yifanele ku cukumetiwa. Matluka ya ximilani ya rhandziwa ngopfu hiti kudu kasi minkawu na swinyenyani swinwani switsakela mihandzu yakona.
Mintirho ya xintu ya num num yikatsa ku dyiwa tani hi mihandzu, kambe yitirhisiwa ku endla jamu na jelly. Timintsu titirhisiwa ku horisa ku pandza ka matinu kasi vanhu va ma-Swazi vatirhisa num num eka mintirho yandzhavuko laha yi nyikiwaka nkuzi kuva yiva na nkanu loko yinga se dlayiwa hiti Swazi warriors. Masiku lawa yitirhisiwa tani hi swakudya. Ti Num nums ta tsokombela swinene loko tikatsiwa nati quince to bokiwa kumbe pear, yingetelela tartness eka chutney na tinyala naswona tinga swekiwa naku omisiwa loko tinga se bakiwa na ti muffins.
Ti num num tibyaleka hiku olova kusuka eka mbewu, kutsemiwa ka rhavi kumbe hi layering (layering hiloko rhavi rihuma timintsu raha khomelele eka nsinya walowo). Loveka mbewu eka mati yokufumela ku hatlisisa leswaku yita baleka. Ti Num nums tinga kota ku humesa mihandzu endzhaku ka malembe yambirhi. Ximilani lexi xitshamaka xiri rihlaza xatlhuma swinene naswona xikumeka enhoveni, kusuhi na le lwandle na lomu kunga tlhuma eka swifundzha hinkwaswo swa tiko ra Afrika Dzonga handle kale ndzhawini yo oma swinene ya Northern Cape.
Swimilani leswi hatlisaka kukula swati num nums swiendla swimilani swa kahle kumbe swinga byariwa eka 1m hiku hambana, kambe yinga hungutiwa matluka leswaku yava na xivumbeko xa kahle. Swimilani leswi switsakela misava leyi khomaka mati leyingana manyoro yakahle naswona xinga hanya kahle laha kungana dyambu leri heleleke kumbe kuri na ndzhuti nyana. Ti Num nums tikota ku kondzelela dyandza na moya wa mati ya lwandle na munyu wakona, kambe xichava ngopfu gwitsi na xixika. Titala ku tirhisiwa eka tindzhawu ta mani na mani kufana nale tlhela ka patu na lomu ku pakiwaka mimovha. Num num wudumile tani hi nsinya wa ndhuma wa bonsai.
Disclaimer ya Swavutshunguri
Vuxokoxoko lebyi i byo dyondzisa xikan’we no nyika vuxokoxoko naswona swinge tekiwi tani hi switsundzuxo swa vutshunguri. Vuxokoxoko lebyi abyi kongomisiwangi eka kuyimela switsundzuxo swa vutshunguri kumbe kutshunguriwa loku ku nyikeriwaka hi lavanga leteriwa eka swavutshunguri.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni