I-Carob: Isihlahla Sokudla Esingasetshenzisiwe Ngokugcwele

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.

Umuthi we-carob (i-Ceratonia siqua) owaziwa nangokuthi iSt John's Isinkwa ngumuthi omncane ophakathi nendawo ovuthiwe onamaqabunga ohlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ikhiqiza imbewu ye-seedpods enesisindo esinezinhlamvu ezingu-13 kuya kwezingama-30 ubude ne-sweet chocolatey pulp kanye ne-gum, equkethe imbewu enjengobhontshisi.
I-carob ayiyona yendabuko eNingizimu Afrika kepha ikhombisa isithembiso esiningi njengesilwane kanye nokudla kwabantu ukuthuthukisa ukutholakala kokudla komdabu.
Ucwaningo lwe-carob lwalwenziwa e-USA ngo-1949, ngezinhlobo ezikhethiweyo ezikhethiwe futhi ezihlanganisiwe, ezinye zazo zanikelwa eNingizimu Afrika. Okungenani ama-clones ayisikhombisa asetshenziswa emhlabeni jikelele, kusukela ku-flavour, usayizi we-pod (flat, curved, twisted noma flat), kanye nenani nokuqukethwe ushukela (kusuka 48% - 56%).
Izinhlobo ezinhlanu ezitholakalayo eNingizimu Afrika (ikakhulukazi eNtshonalanga Kapa) zihlolwe ekucwaningweni nguMnyango Wezolimo Zokudla eNyuvesi yaseStellenbosch ngo-2010. Amanqanaba e-sugar (okuyi-70% ayi-sucrose) avela ku-40 kuya ku-54%, amaprotheni kanye njengoba kutholakala inani lama-amino acids angu-17, kufaka phakathi ama-amino acids ayisikhombisa abalulekile. Imikhiqizo eminingi yokudla - isinkwa, isitsha sekusasa kwasekuseni, isiphuzo esisekelwe ubisi, i-porridge kanye ne-mousse yasungulwa phakathi nalolu cwaningo.
Ngenxa yokuphathwa okuncane okudingekayo, umuthi we-carob ufanelwe izinhlelo zokukhiqiza eziphansi. Izihlahla zeCarob zizitshalo ezihlotshiswe ngomhlobiso ezisetshenziselwa ukuhlelwa kwemvelo kanye ne-windbreaks. Kuyindlela ephumelelayo yomlilo njengoba amaqabunga ayo ashisa kabi kakhulu. Izinkuni zilukhuni futhi zihlungwa ngokujulile futhi ziyabaluleka ekusetshenzisweni kwayo ekubazileni. Itshisa kancane futhi imfuyo emihle, okwenza amalahle amahle kakhulu.
Amqobolondo namaqabunga abe ukudla okufuywayo kakhulu kwezilwane, izingulube, izimbuzi, izimvu nezimbongolo.
I-Carob inezinhlobo eziningi zokusetshenziswa kokudla kwabantu. Kungadliwa okusha noma okugcokiwe. Izitshalo ezisemhlabathini zisetshenziselwa ukwenza ubhontshisi wezinkumbi (i-galactomannan), ezisetshenziswe njengesandiso nokunikeza ukunambitheka kwe-chocolatey ekudleni.
Umuthi we-carob ukhule iminyaka eyizinkulungwane emazweni amaningi azungeze ulwandle lwaseMedithera, ngokuvamile ehlala ezimweni ezifudumele futhi ngokuvamile ezindaweni ezinomhlabathi onomhlabathi ompofu. Abakhiqizi abaphawulekayo be-carob bahlanganisa eSpain Italy, Morocco, Turkey nasePortugal. I-Portugal, ngokwezibalo ze-UN, yakhiqiza ithoni engaphezu kuka-40 000 ye-carob ngo-2016. I-Carob powder esetshenziswa emikhiqizweni yaseNingizimu Afrika ingeniswa kakhulu esuka eSpain.
Imbewu ye-carob nayo isetshenziswe njengesilinganiso sesisindo segolide namagugu ngoba imbewu isisindo. Igama elithi 'carat' livela ku qīrāṭ igama lesi-Arabhu lembewu.

Indlela Yokutshala Umuthi we-Carob

©Jad Issa

Umuthi we-carob okhula kancane ungakhula kusuka enzalweni. Imbewu idinga ukwelashwa kwamanzi abilayo okulandelwa yizinsuku ezintathu zokungena ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuhluma. Imbewu kufanele ihlwanyelwe endaweni yokuxuba emhlabathini (entwasahlobo noma ngesikhathi sasehlobo) ezigulini ezizimele ezifana namakhanoni asebisi avuselelwe. Izithombo zifakelwa lapho kuphakama 8-10 cm. Gwema ukulimaza i-taproots enesibindi lapho uphaqha izithombo.
Izihlahla ze-Carob zisho ukuthi izihlahla zesilisa nezinsikazi zikhona futhi izinhlobo ezithile zithwala izimbali zombili zesilisa nezesifazane. Umuthi owodwa wesilisa ungadla impova ngamaphesenti angu-10 kuya ku-20. Ukuvuthwa kwenziwa yomoya kanye nezinambuzane, kepha isivuno esincane sivame ukubangelwa impova empofu.
I-Carob ikwazi ukubekezelela isomiso, umoya ophefumulayo nolunye uhlobo lomhlabathi ngaphandle kobumba obunzima nenhlabathi e-acidic. Bajabulela izindawo ezomile, ezinamadwala.
Imithi kaCarob idinga ukuchelela okuncane nokukhulelwa futhi ayikho izihlahla. Ama-pods aseCarob avunwa ngaphambi kokubusika futhi kufanele athengwe emthini ngesiqu, eqoqwe ngamanetha noma ekhishwa phansi ngaphansi kwesihlahla bese esomiswe ilanga. Ama-pods akhiqizwa emva kweminyaka engama-6 kuya kwengu-7 futhi kuze kube ngu-125 kg we-pods ingavuna emthini ovuthiwe (iminyaka engu-25). Isivuno esingaba ngu-2 kg singalindelwa esihlahleni esineminyaka engu-6 ubudala. Izinhlobonhlobo eziphucukisiwe zingafaka izithelo (pods) zingakapheli iminyaka emi-3 kuya kwengu-4.
Izifo zemithi ye-carob zimbalwa kanti izinambuzane kuphela zilinganisa izinambuzane kanye ne-carob moth, iMyelois ceratoniae.

Translated by Nsika Khoza