Egusi

"Melon seed" redirects here. For the Chinese baked seed also known by this name, see Guazi.

Egusi, also spelled egushi (Yoruba: Ẹ̀gúṣí), are the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants (squash, melon, gourd), which, after being dried and ground, are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine.^[1][2] Egusi is a Yoruba word,^[3] and the popular method of cooking it is deeply rooted in Yoruba culinary traditions.^[4]

Egusi seeds without shells

Egusi seeds with shells

Egusi melon seeds are large and white in appearance; sometimes they look brownish or off-white in color but the main egusi color is primarily white.^[5]

Scholars disagree whether the word is used more properly for the seeds of the colocynth, those of a particular large-seeded variety of the watermelon, or generically for those of any cucurbitaceous plant.^[6] Egusi seeds are in a class of their own and should never be mistaken for pumpkin or watermelon seeds. In particular the name "egusi" may refer to either or both plants (or more generically to other cucurbits) in their capacity as seed crops, or to a soup made from these seeds and popular in West Africa.^[7]

The characteristics and uses of all these seeds are broadly similar. Major egusi-growing nations include Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Mali, and Cameroon.^[6]

Species from which egusi is derived include Melothria sphaerocarpa (syn. Cucumeropsis mannii) and Citrullus lanatus.^[8]

Names in other languages

The egusi stew delicacy is now widely eaten across large portions of West and Central Africa where it is known by various local names, many of which are variants of the word egusi itself. Some of the other names egusi goes by across the region include;

• Yoruba : Egusi / Egushi (Ẹ̀gúṣí)^[9]
• Hausa : Agusi,^[10] Agushi^[11] (via Yoruba)^[12]
• Sierra Leone Krio : Egusi^[13] (via Yoruba)^[14]
• Cameroonian Pidgin : Egusi (via Yoruba)^[15]
• Twi : Akatowa^[16]
• Ga : Agushi, Egushi^[17][18] (via Yoruba)
• Igbo : Élìlì,^[19] Énìnì, Ekeke, Ahụ, Élìlè, Ilolo, Iroro, Éyìyè, Ogili, Nwanru,^[20] Ègwúsí (Onitsha Igbo; via Yoruba)^[21][22]
• Edo : Ogi, Ikpogi
• Ibibio, Efik : Íkpán, Ikon
• Fon : Gúsí (via Yoruba)
• Nupe : Epín, Epíngi, Paragi
• Urhobo : Ikpogri^[23]
• Tiv : Icegher
• Kikongo, Lingala : Mbika^[24][25]

Usage

Egusi seeds are used in making egusi soup; the soup is thickened with the seeds. Melothria sphaerocarpa, which egusi seeds are from, grows throughout central to western Africa and is used by different ethnic groups in these regions to prepare the soup, and the origins of the soup are deeply rooted in the Yoruba culinary^[4] Egusi soup is a very popular soup in West Africa, with considerable local variations.^[26] Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leafy greens, other vegetables, seasonings, and meat.^[27] Leafy greens typically used for egusi soup include Efo Tete, scentleaf, okazi/afang (wild spinach), bitterleaf (onugbu), pumpkin leaf (ugu), uziza leaf, celosia and spinach. Other commonly used vegetables include tomatoes, okra and bell peppers. Typical seasonings include chili peppers, onions, salt and locust beans. Also commonly used ingredients are beef, goat, chicken, fish, periwinkle, shrimp or crayfish as sources of protein.

In Nigeria, egusi is common throughout the country, and the seeds are used in making stews and soups.^[28] The Igbo refer to it as "egwusi," a borrowed term from the original Yoruba word "egusi."^[29][30][31]

In Ghana, egusi is also called akatoa or agushi, and is used for soup and stew,^[32] most popularly in palaver sauce.^[33]

In the late 1980s, the Government of Canada funded a project intended to develop a machine to help Cameroonians shell egusi seeds.^[34] A machine has also been developed in Nigeria to shell egusi.^[35]

Seed oil

Egusi seed oil contains linoleic acid (53%) and oleic acid (19%).^[36]

Gallery

• 
  A plate of pounded yam and egusi soup
• 
  Egusi and bitter leaf soup
• 
  Egusi powder with powdered lemon

See also

• Egusi sauce
• Yoruba cuisine
• List of African dishes
• List of melon dishes and foods
• List of stews
• Pumpkin seeds
• Watermelon seed oil

References

1. Rachel C. J. Massaquoi, "Groundnut, Egusi, Palm Oil, and Other Soups", in Foods of Sierra Leone and Other West African Countries: A Cookbook, AuthorHouse, 2011, p. 36.
2. Ukegbu, Kavachi Michelle (2021). The art of fufu : a guide to the culture and flavors of a West African tradition. Grubido. Austin, Texas. ISBN 978-1-62634-596-6. OCLC 1241244901.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
3. Dictionary Of Yoruba Language. Lagos Church Missionary Society. 1913. pp. 90, 93.
4. William Bascom. "Yoruba Cooking". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute: 125–127.
5. National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Science and Technology for International Development (2006). Lost crops of Africa. Volume II, Vegetables. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-66582-7. OCLC 85851965.
6. National Research Council (2006). "Egusi". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. National Academies Press. pp. 158 (155–171). doi:10.17226/11763. ISBN 978-0-309-10333-6.
7. Aninkan, Anjola S.; Makinde, Eyitayo A. (2021-08-23). "Fertilizer Rate for Optimum Growth and Yield of Egusi Melon (Colocynthis citrullus L.)/ Hot Pepper (Capsicum chinense, Jackquin cv. rodo) Intercrop". 5th International Students Science Congress. Izmir International Guest Student Association. doi:10.52460/issc.2021.005. ISBN 9786057073723. S2CID 238738395.
8. Blench, Roger (2006). Archaeology, language, and the African past. Altamira Press. ISBN 9780759104655.
9. Hill, Polly (16 March 1972). Rural Hausa: A Village and a Setting. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-08242-6. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
10. Etkin, Nina L. (1 February 2008). Edible Medicines: An Ethnopharmacology of Food. University of Arizona Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-8165-2748-9. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
11. Omidiji, M. O. (1983). Sixth African Symposium on Horticultural Crops, Ibadan, Nigeria, 19 - 25 July 1981. International Society for Horticultural Science. ISBN 978-90-6605-291-8. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
12. Ikara, Bashir (1982). Nigerian Languages and Cultural Development: Proceedings of the National Seminar on the Use of Local Languages for Cultural Development and Application, Held at Durbar Hotel, Kaduna 22-24 June, 1981. National Language Centre, Federal Ministry of Education. p. 55. ISBN 978-978-30012-1-3. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
13. "Sierra Leone Web - Krio Dictionary - Peter C. Andersen". www.sierra-leone.org. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
14. Sierra Leone Studies. Institute of African Studies, Fourah Bay College. 1955. p. 106.
15. Ngefac, Aloysius (17 August 2016). Sociolinguistic and Structural Aspects of Cameroon Creole English. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-9901-7. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
16. Aworh, Ogugua Charles; Owusu-Darko, Patricia Gyaa (10 July 2024). Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in Western Africa. Elsevier. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-443-27385-8. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
17. Smith, George Kinnear (1962). Report on Soil and Agricultural Survey of Sene-Obosum River Basins, East Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regions, Ghana. U.S. Agency for International Development. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
18. Osseo-Asare, Fran (30 June 2005). Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-313-06226-1. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
19. Achinivu, Achinivu Kanu (1979). Ikoli Harcourt Whyte, the Man and His Music: A Case of Musical Acculturation in Nigeria. Verlag der Musikalienhandlung Wagner. ISBN 978-3-921029-67-1. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
20. Anoka, Gaius M. K. (1973). Verbs Meaning "to Buy" in Igbo. p. 66. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
21. Williamson, Kay (1972). Igbo-English dictionary based on the Onitsha dialect. Ethiope Publishing Corporation.
22. Nwankwo, Onyinye A. (2022). "Towards a specialised digital monolingual Igbo dictionary on crop cultivation" (PDF). IKENGA: International Journal of Institute of African Studies. 23 (2): 1–23. doi:10.53836/ijia/2022/23/2/011.
23. Burkill, H. M. (1985). The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Royal Botanic Gardens. p. 857. ISBN 978-0-947643-01-0. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
24. Press, National Academies (27 November 2006). Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. National Academies Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-309-10333-6. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
25. Dyfed Lloyd, Evans. The Recipes of Africa. Dyfed Lloyd Evans. p. 147. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
26. Badiru, I. & Badiru, D. (2013). Isi Cookbook: Collection of Easy Nigerian Recipes. Bloomington: iUniverse. p. 36. ISBN 9781475976717.
27. Okwanma, Robin (13 November 2022). "Egusi Soup: Ingredients". CYBER NG. Robin Okwanma. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
28. "Egusi Soup: A Royal Feast For Any Day". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
29. Michael J. C. Echeruo (1998). Igbo-English Dictionary. p. 44.
30. Williamson, Kay (1972). Igbo-English dictionary based on the Onitsha dialect. Ethiope Publishing Corporation.
31. Nwankwo, Onyinye A. (2022). "Towards a specialised digital monolingual Igbo dictionary on crop cultivation" (PDF). IKENGA: International Journal of Institute of African Studies. 23 (2): 1–23. doi:10.53836/ijia/2022/23/2/011.
32. "13 Nigerian Foods That Are Eaten By Ghanaians But Have Different Names" Archived 2016-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, OMGVoice.
33. Freda Muyambo, "Palaver Sauce Recipe"Archived 2016-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, About food.
34. "Projects in Cameroon". Archived from the original on 2014-11-27.
35. Shittu, S. K. & Ndrika, V. I. O. (2012). "Development and performance tests of a melon (egusi) seed shelling machine". Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal.
36. Olubi, O.; Felix-Minnaar, J.V.; Jideani, V.A. (January 2019). "Physicochemical and fatty acid profile of egusi oil from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction". Heliyon. 5 (1): e01083. Bibcode:2019Heliy...501083O. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01083. PMC 6313835. PMID 30619961.