Gingerbread plum
Neocarya macrophylla

Family: Chrysobalanaceae

What it is like

A bush or small tree. It grows 10 m high. The trunk is gnarled. The crown is round and bushy. The branches have a dense grey covering when young. The leaves are broad. They have a grey covering underneath. The fruit are oval and 5 cm long. The pulp is edible.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in sandy locations scattered along West Africa. It can be near banks of sandy seasonal watercourses and on sandstone cliffs. It can survive burning in savannah zones.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, West Africa, West Indies

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten fresh. They are also boiled with cereals. They can be crushed to make a juice drink. The kernels are roasted and eaten.

Its popularity varies. It is cultivated in some places.

Edible parts

Fruit, kernel, seeds

How it is grown

Fruit can be available all year round.

Its other names

Local names

Bansuma, Bate, Beel, Benobeno, Bio, Bitiague, Bu bita, Bufangha, Bu nafay, Cura-bussuma, Curanaco, Gamsa, Gawasa, M'bute, Mampatace-grande, Maveu, Menai, N'djapo, Nando, Naudi, Naudo, Ndawei, New, Noronorodo, Nororodo, Nya, Nyau, Orodjo, Quio, Tamankumba, Tamba, Tamba-cumba, Tambacumba, Tehe, Umbatu, Wo

Synonyms

Ferolia macrophylla (Sabine) Kuntze; Parinari macrophylla Sabine; Parinari senegalensis Perr. ex DC.; Petrocarya macrophylla (Sabine) Steud.; Petrocarya senegalensis (Perr. ex DC.) Steud.;