I-Carob: Umthi Wokutya Osetyenziswa Kancinci

© Garroves
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.
Umthi we carob (Ceratonia siliqua) nokwaziwa ngenge Sonka sika St John’s ngumthi omncinci ukuya kuphakathana ngokomlinganiselo. Lomthi uhlala uluhlaza kwaye unamagqabi amenyezaleyo nathambe okofele. Uvelisa i13-30 cm emibhuntshuntshu embaca enencasa eswiti ngokunga yi tshokholeythi kunye nentlaka. Lemibhuntshuntshu inentanga ezifana nembotyi.
Imvelaphi ye carob ayikho apha eMzantsi Afrika kodwa inika ithemba njengesidlo esiphucula impilo yezilwanyana kunye nabantu beli lizwe. Uphando nge carob lwenziwa kwelase Melika ngomnyaka ka 1949, kwakhethwa ezona ndidi zihamba phambili zaze zandiswa. Ezinye zezi ndidi zaye zathunyelwa eMzantsi Afrika. Bubuncinane beendidi ezisixhenxe ezisetyenziswayo kwihlabathi liphela. Zonke ezi ndidi zohlukile ngencasa, ngomlinganiselo (zimbaca, zigoso okanye zijijekile, kwakunye nembewu kunye neswekile engaphakathi (ukusuka kuma 48%-56%).
Ezintlanu zikhuliswa eMzantsi Afrika (Ingakumbi eNtshona Koloni) zahlolwa kuphando olwenziwa Lisebe Lwenzululwazi yoKutya (Food Science) KwiDyunivesithi yase Stellenbosch University ngomnyaka ka 2010. Amazinga eswekile (ama 70% ayo yi sucrose) ayephakathi kwama 40-54%, kwafunyanwa nee proteni kwakunye ne amino asidi ezili 17. Kwizinongo ezafunyanwayo kwaye kwafunyanwa nendidi ezisixhenxe ze amino asidi. Iimveliso eziliqela zokutya-Isonka, ipapa yakusasa, isiselo esenziwe ngobisi, isidudu kunye ne mousse zathi zaveliswa ngethuba kusenziwa oluphando.
Ngenxa yolawulo oluncini olufunekayo, umthi we carob uzilungele iindlela zemveliso ezingasebenzisi kangako. Imithi ye carob zizityalo ezixhaphakileyo ezisetyenziselwa ukuhombisa eziyadini nokukhusela umoya. Ikwasisithintelo esilungileyo sokukhusela umlilo, njengoko amagqabi awo engakhawulezi kutsha. Lomthi womelele kwaye usetyenziswa kakhulu ukwakha imisebenzi yeplanga. Utsha kade kwaye ukulungele ukwenza umlilo, kwaye ubanamalahle ahlalayo.
Le mibhuntshuntshu/amagaqa asisisidlo esilungileyo ukondla iinkomo, iihagu, iibhokwe, iigusha kunye needonki. Icarob inemisebenzi eshiyanayo njengokutya kwabantu. Ingatyiwa injalo okanye yosiwe. Iintanga ezicoliweyo zingasetyenziswa ukwenza i locustbean gum (galactomannan), nesetyenziselwe ukujiyisa ukutya nokufaka incasa engathi yitshokholetyhi ekutyeni.
Umthi we carob sele unisigidi seminyaka ukhuliswa kumazwe amaninzi ajikeleze ulwandle lwe Mediterranean, ingakumbi kumaqondo obushushu aphakathi okanye kwiingingqi ezinemihlaba eyomileyo nengachumanga. Abavelisi abahamba phambili baquka amazwe ase Spain Italy, Morocco, Turkey kunye nase Portugal. iPortugal, ngokwe nkcukacha mananani ze UN, yavelisa isibalo esingaphaya kwama 40 000 eetoni ze carob ngomnyaka ka 2016.
Ubunintsi bomgubo we carob osetyenziswa eMzantsi Afrika uthengwa eSpain. Iintanga ze carob zazikade zisetyenziswa ukukala ubunzima begolide nobunye ubucwebe, ngoba ezintanga ziyasinda. Eli gama lithi ‘carat’ ligama elisuka kwi qīrāṭ, neligama lolwimi lwesi Arab elithetha ezintanga.

Indlela Yokukhulisa Imithi yeCarob

©Jad Issa
Lomthi ukhula kade we carob ungakhuliswa ngembewu. Iimbewu idinga amanzi abilileyo okuyinyanga, kuze kulandeliswa ngentsuku ezintathi igcinwe emanzini ukuze iintshule iingcambu. Lembewu kufuneka ityalwe kumhlaba onesanti (ngexesha lase ntlakohlaza okanye ehlotyeni). Ungatyalwa ezityeni zokutyala, imbewu nganye ibesesityeni sayo kwiinkonkxa ezifana namaqokobhe obisi. Izithole zingatshintshelwa emhlabeni xa sele zili 8-10 cm ubude. Lumkela ukonakalisa iingcambu ezicekeceke xa utshintsha izithole uzisa emhlabeni.
Imithi yecarob itrioecious, nto leyo ithetha ukuba kukho imithi ezinkunzi nezimazi, kwaye ezinye iindidi zivelisa iintyatyambo ezizinkunzi kunye nezizimazi. Umthi omnye oyi nkunzi ungasasaza ipollin kwimithi ezimazi emalunga nama 10-20. Le pollen iye ihambe nomoya kunye nezinambuzane, kodwa isivuno esincinci zivamise ukubangelwa yi pollen engekho semgangathweni/encinci. Iicarob ziyakwazi ukumelana nembalela, impepho zolwandle kunye nayo nayiphi na indidi yomhlaba ngaphandle ngomdongwe omnintsi kunye nemihlaba ene asidi. Ziyakholwa yimihlaba eyomileyo enamatye.
Imithi ye carob ifuna ukunkcenkceshelwa nezichumiso ezincinci, ze nemithi ingathenwa. Iicarob zivunwa phambi kwexesha lasebusika kwaye kufuneka ziwiswe emthini ngekhuni. Ziqokelelwa zifakwe emnatheni okanye kwilaphu elikhulu phantsi komthi zize zomiswe ngelanga. Lomthi uvelisa amagaqa emva kweminyaka emi 6-7. Kungavunwa ubunzima obufikelela 125 kg, kumthi osele ukhule ngokupheleleyo (ominyaka i+25).
Isivuno esimalunga ne 2 kg singalindeleka kumthi oneminyaka emithandathu. Iindidi zemithi eziphuculiweyo zingathwala iziqhamo kwiminyaka emi 3-4. Zimbalwa izifo ezihlaselo imithi ye carob kwaye isonakalisi salomthi, zizinambuzane ezinamaqweqwe kunye ne, Myelois ceratoniae kuphela.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana