iCarissa macrocarpa ikwabizwa ngokuba yi Natal Plum, big num-num groetnoemnoem (isibhulu) okanye amatungulu (isiZulu) logama ummelwane wayo omninci I Carissa bispinosa ikwaziwa njenge num-num yase Mantla we Afrika). I-C bispinosa incinci, kwaye ikhula kade kodwa nencasa efanayo, kodwa sisiqhamo esincinci. Inum num yesi Arab (C. edulis) ivelisa isiqhamo esincinci esiswiti. i-Carissa isuka kwi gama lesi Ndiya (Indian) lezityalo eziloluhlobo, ine ndawo ekrakra, eyityhefu kuma xolo abizwa ngoku bayi carrisin. ‘Bispinosa’ ithetha okokuba imebubini kwaye ibhekisa kulendawo ingathi yifolokhwe kwisiqhamo i-num num, ibhekisa kubumnandi obuvayo xa ubani esitya eziziqhamo zincinci zimnandi kangaka.
i-Num nums zaziswa eMelika ngeminyaka yo 1880, apho yayisisityalo esixhaphakileyo sokuhombisa eCalifornia nase Florida. Exesheni yaziswa nkwamanye amazwe afana ne Israel, Puerto Rico, Philippines ne India. Isiqhamo inum num simboxo ngobume kwaye ingakubukhulu obuphakathi kwe 1,5 ukuya ku 5 cm kuxhomekeke kuhlobo. Iziqhamo zayo ziyavuthwa zibe bomvu kwaye zinga vunwa ukususela ngo March ukuya ku October. Xa sicholiwe zasikwa, ivelisa incidi emhlophe encangathi (‘ubisi’). Inum num ityebile ku vitamin C, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) ne phosphorus (P) kwaye iphezulu kwi pectin, nokunceda ukuseta ijem efana namaqunube. Ipete ezithambileyo ziyatyeka kwaye akukho siding zilahlwe. Amagqabi esisityalo ayathandwa yi kudu, logama inkawu nentaka ezithi zisonwabele isiqhamo.
Imisebenzi ye num num iquka ukutya isiqhamo esisando kukhiwa, ukwenza ijem nee jeli. Ingcambu zisetyenziswa ukunyanga izinyo elibuhlungu logama ama Swati esebenzisa inum num kumsebenzi wesintu apho inikezwa Inkunzi yenkomo ukunyusa ubundlobongela nokudlokova kwayo phambi kokuba ibulawe ngama gorha ama Swati. Imisebenzi yayo kule mihla, kukuyisebenzisa ekuphekeni. Inum nums zimnandi xa zidityaniswe ne sidlo i-‘quiche’ okanye ipere, iyongezwa kwi ‘chutney’ nesinto zokuqaba ezenziwe ngetswele, kwaye ingaphekwa yomiswe phambi kokuba kubhakwe imafin. Inum num ikhula lula kwi mbewu, ukunqunyulwa nokonekwa (ukoneka kuxa isikhondo siphuma iingcambu logama sisancamathele kwisityalo esingu mama). Sokisha imbewu kumanzi adikidiki ukukhawulezisa ukukhula. Imum nums zingaqala ukuvelisa iziqhamo emveni kweminyaka emibini.
Esisityalo sihlala sihlaza songa amanzi senza amahlathi axineneyo kwaye afumaneka ehlathini, ngaselunxwemeni okanye kwindawo ezinamahlathi kuwo onke amaphondo ase Mzansi Afrika, ngaphandle kwe Northern Cape. Inum num ezikhawuleza zikhule zenza iintyantyambo ezikulungeleyo ukuhombisa okanye zityalwe ngomgama oyi 1m ukohlukana ukwenza iheji, kodwa kufuneka zihlale zichetywa ukuhlala zikwisimo esilungileyo. Zikhetha umhlaba olula ongenawo amanzi enomgqua omninzi kwaye zingakhula elangeni okanye kwindawo enomthunzi onaqibelelanga. Inum nums ziyayinyamezela imbalela kwaye singamelana nenkwankca yase Lwandle nomoya okrakra, kodwa ayidibani nekhephu elininzi nesimo sezulu esibandayo. Isetyenziswa kakhulu kwindawo ezivulelekileyo ezifana nokuvala indlela nendawo zokupaka imoto. Inum num yimithi enokuhombisa ibekwe nakwi mbiza zezityalo.
Isufungo Ngamayeza
Ezinkcukacha zezokufundisa nokwazisa kuphela kwaye azifanelanga ukuthathwa njenge ngcebiso kaGqirha. Olu lwazi alunazo injongo zokuthatha indawo ye ngcebiso namayeza ka Gqirha okanye unyango olunikezwa ngabezempilo ngoku semthethweni.
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie