Néré seeds (African locust bean)

Parkia biglobosa

nuts & seeds · legume

Seeds of a large tree of the Sahelian and Sudanian savannahs, cooked, stripped of their coat and then fermented into a strong condiment, soumbala, which lifts sauces and soups. They provide protein.

Origin

Savannas of West Africa

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

They are not eaten as they are: fermented into soumbala, they are crumbled, a small ball at a time, into a sauce or rice at the start of cooking, like a stock cube.

Molecules

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

Did you know?

These fermented seeds are documented in West Africa as early as the 14th century: dawadawa among the Hausa, sunbala in the Inner Niger Delta.