ICarissa macrocarpa ibizwa futhi ngokuthi iNatal plum, ibig num num, grootnoemnoem (Afr.) noma amathungulu (ngesiZulu) ekubeni isihlobo sayo esincane iCarissa bispinosa sibuye saziwe ngokuthi i-East Afrfican num num. iC. Bispinosa incanyana, ikhulela phansi kodwa imnandi ngokulinganayo, kodwa iyisithelo esincane. I-Arabian num num (C. edulis) nayo ithela isithelo esincane futhi.
UCarissa uqhamuka egameni lesiNdiya lezimila zalolu hlobo, eziqukethe uju olubabayo futhi olungushevu exolweni olubizwa ngokuthi icarrisin. Bispinosa kusho ukuthi ameva amabili futhi kuqondiswe emeveni amise okwemfologo kulezi zimila. Ukuthi Num num kuqondiswe emsindweni wokuzitika ngalesi sithelo esimnandi esincane…
Amathungulu ethulwa kwelaseMelika ngeminyaka yama-1880 lapho iyisimila sokuhlobisa eCalifornia naseFlorida. Kamumva yethulwa nakwamanye amazwe anjengo-Israel, Puerto Rico, ePhilippines naseNdiya.
Ithungulu liyimbulunga bese ubungako balo busuka ku-1.5 kuye ku-5 cm ngokwehlukana kwezinhlobo. Isithelo salo esinomongo omningi sivuthwa sibe bomvu futhi singakhiwa ngoNdasa kuya kuMfumfu. Uma likhiwe futhi lasikwa, ithungulu limfoma inhlaka emhlophe (‘ubisi’).
Ithungulu linothile ngovitamin C, icalcium (Ca), imagnesium (Mg), nephosphorus (P) futhi inepectini eningi esiza ngokushubisa ojamu abenepectin encane njengestrawberry. Imbewu encane iyadliwa futhi akudingeki ukuthi ilahlwe. Amacembe aso lesi simila athandwa imigakla ekubeni izinkawu nezinyoni ezithile kuzitika ngesithelo.
Ukusetshenziswa kwethungulu ngokomdabu kumbandakanya ukudla isithelo esingaphekiwe, kodwa nokuphekwa siyaphekwa kwenziwe ojamu nojeli. Izimpande ziyasetshenziswa ekwelapheni ubuhlungu bezinyo ekubeni amaSwazi esebenzisa ithungulu emkhosini wokweshwama lapho linikwa khona inkunzi ukuze landise ulaka enkunzini ngaphambi kokuthi ibulawe ngamabutho amaSwazi.
Ukusetshenziswa kwalo okuningi kwesimanje kuse ekuphekeni ikakhulukazi. Amathungulu amnandi uma exutshwe neklwibhili elibhakiwe noma nomgolandoda, angeza ubumuncu koshatini (chutneys) nakuma-onion marmalade futhi angaphekwa bese eyomiswa kancane ngfaphambi kokubhakwa abengamamuffin.
Umthungulu utshaleka kalula ngembewu, amagatsha noma ngomxhantela (umxhantela yilapho igatsha limila izimpande libe lisaxhumeke kunina). Cwilisa imbewu emanzini afudumele ukuze usheshisa ukuqhuma kwayo. Umthungulu ungaqala ukuthela emva kweminyaka emibili. Lesi simila esihlale siluhlaza esonga amanzi sibayimfukumfuku futhi sitholakala ehlanzeni, ogwini nasezifujndeni ezinamahlathi kuozo zonke izifundazwe zaseNingizimu Afrika ngaphandle Nyakatho Kapa ewugwadule.
Umthungulu okhula ngokushesha uyisimila esihle sokuhlobisa noma ungatshalwa uqhelelaniswe ngo-1 m ukuze ubewuthango, kodwa kufanele uhlale ugundiwe ukuze uhlale ubumbekile ngesimo sawo. Uthanda inhlabathi elula eyomile enomquba omningi futhi ungakhula elangeni noma engxenyeni yethunzi.
Imithungulu inokumelana okuthi nesomiso futhi ingamelana nomoya waso lwandle nomoya netswayi, kodwa iyazwela esithwathweni esikhulu nobusika obubandayo. Ivamile ukusetshenziswa ezindaweni zompahakathi njengasemingceleni yomgwaqo nasezindaweni zokupaka. Umthungulu futhi uyisihlahla sebonsai esidumile.
Isexwayiso Sezokwelapha
Lolu lwazi olokufundisa nokwazisa kuphela ngakho-ke akufanelwe luthathwe njengeseluleko sokwelapha. Ngalolu lwazi akuhlosiwe kuvala isikhala seseluleko sezokwelapha noma ukwelapha kodokotela abakhokhelwayo.Translated by Zoza Shongwe