Cheese and bread
Paullinia pinnata
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A woody creeper or vine. It can be 5-10 m long. The leaves have 5 leaflets. The leaf stalk has wings. The flower racemes occur singly in the axils of leaves. They can be 10 cm long. The flower are in clusters without stalks. The flowers are white. The fruit is an oblong or pear shaped capsule. It is 3 cm long by 1.4 cm wide. It is pinkish red and has fine lines along it. The valves are woody and there is 1 or sometimes 3 seeds inside. These are 1 cm long by 0.8 cm wide and 0.6 cm thick. They are shiny and blue-purple to black. There is a white aril or layer around the seed. This is edible.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows on coastal plains, swamps and sandy beaches. It grows in seasonally flooded forests. It grows along riverbanks and can grow on sand or clay. It grows between sea level to 1,600 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, America, Angola, Argentina, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chad, Colombia, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, East Africa, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesser Antilles, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, South America (country/location of origin), Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies (country/location of origin), Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The aril or soft layer around the seeds and the pulp of the fruit are sometimes eaten. The flowers are eaten. The leaves are eaten.
It is reasonably commonly eaten in West Africa.
Edible parts
Leaves, aril, seeds, fruit, flowers
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Apgi, Barbasco, Beco-be-unhou, Belecapsulassule, Belekesu-lesuli, Bolo-coninlolo, Cinco-dedos, Cinco-fodja, Cinco-folha, Cipo-cinco-folha, Coledjoe, Coli-djoi, Cuiotche, Cundintadjo-o, D'jambolulu, Djambalulo, Feifi-finga, Fouli, Fruta-de-pomba, Kasisi, Kururu ape, Kutupurang, Leki-nou, Ludimi, Lukaka, Lumbwa, Maco, Mopumba, Mupeketatie, N'fankoko, N'resque, Ngudi nkayi, Palo sol, Runn, Timbo, Toa-ntini, Yesi kushi, Ysypo kururu