Sumbala or soumbala is a fermented seed condiment used widely across

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

. It is usually prepared by women over the course of several days, traditionally from ''néré'' ('' Parkia biglobosa'')

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s. It can be made from other kinds of seeds, such as those of ''

Prosopis africana ''Prosopis africana'' is a flowering plant species in the genus Fabaceae. It is found in Africa. Its common names include African mesquite, iron tree, ''gele'' (Malinke) (traditional djembe wood) or ''somb'' tree. In the Serer creation myth, i ...

'', and the use of

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...

s for this purpose is increasing due mainly to inadequate supply of néré seeds. It is comparable to

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...

paste. The fabrication process involves boiling, cleaning and then packing away to ferment - the fermentation process giving it a pungent smell. Salt can be added to the finished product to facilitate storage life. This condiment is traditionally sold in balls or patties that can be kept for several months at a time in the case of the best quality. It is a traditional ingredient used across West Africa. The traditional production now faces strong competition from low-quality

stock cube A bouillon cube (Canada and US), stock cube (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and UK), or broth cube (Asia) is dehydrated broth or stock formed into a small cube about wide. It is typically made from dehydrated vegetables or me ...

s. Sumbala is rich in

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

s and a variety of

dietary mineral In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element required as an essential nutrient by organisms to perform functions necessary for life. However, the four major structural elements in the human body by weight (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon ...

s, which are completely absent from these ''bouillon cubes''. In recent years, however, good quality commercial production has allowed the product to make a comeback into everyday

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

. Names and variants in several different languages of the region include: * Manding languages: , , , ''Sumbala'' (or in French transcription ) is a loan from

Manding Manding may refer to: * Manding languages, a language-dialect continuum in West Africa * Mandinka (disambiguation) ** Mandinka language, one of the Manding languages ** Mandinka people, a West African ethnic group * The Mandé peoples who speak Man ...

. * Hausa: , *

Pulaar Pulaar (in Adlam: , in Ajami: ) is a Fula language spoken primarily as a first language by the Fula and Toucouleur peoples in the Senegal River valley area traditionally known as Futa Tooro and further south and east. Pulaar speakers, known as ...

/ Pular: *

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

: * Serer, Saafi,

Wolof Wolof or Wollof may refer to: * Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...

: * Krio: * Susu: * Zarma: * Dagbanli: Kpalgu *

Mooré The Mossi language (Mooré) is a Gur language of the Oti–Volta branch and one of two official regional languages of Burkina Faso. It is the language of the Mossi people, spoken by approximately 8 million people in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cote d ...

: Colgo * Likpakpaln, i.e.

Konkomba language Konkomba is a Gurma language spoken in Ghana, Togo Geography Konkomba is spoken in Ghana ( Northern Region, Volta Region, Brong Ahafo Region, Eastern Region and Accra), and Togo ( Savanes Region, Kara Region and Plateaux Region). Dialec ...

: ,

References

External links

Netetou - a typical African condiment
Food and Nutrition Library, United Nations University and the Humanity Libraries Project (1993)

Sciences Ouest, 1993, No. 93. {{portal bar, Food African cuisine Condiments Fermented foods Yoruba cuisine Hausa cuisine