Creeping bauhinia

Tylosema fassoglense

legume · nuts & seeds

Seeds often eaten, raw, cooked or roasted, and pods raw or cooked; the seeds also replace coffee.

Origin

From Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa

Where to find it

It creeps through savannas and highland grasslands, from Ethiopia to the Transvaal.

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

The seeds are roasted or cooked before being cracked and eaten, or roasted and ground like coffee; the young pods are cooked.

Molecules

ProteinIn small amounts, not counted GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) · Folates (B9) · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

In arid areas its tuber provides water, and sometimes porridge.