Mpepeta
Dialium holtzii
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 20 m tall. The crown has a medium spread. The trunk is straight and it has small buttresses. The bark is grey-brown and smooth. The leaves are compound with an odd number of leaflets. There are 11-15 leaflets. The leaf blade is 3-7 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The flowers are cream. The fruit are dark brown. They have a brittle outer coat. The pulp is red. There are 1 or 2 round brown seeds.
Also as Caesalpinaceae.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows along rivers and in dry lowland forests. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 500 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania
How it is used for food
The pulp of the fruit is used for porridge. The white pulp of the fruit is eaten like chewing gum. The seeds are discarded. The ripe fruit are peeled and soaked in warm water then squeezed and sugar added then filtered to make a drink.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds.
Dried fruit can be kept for over 2 years. Fruit are collected from June to September in Tanzania.
Its other names
Local names
M'babede, Mhetele, M'pepete, Mshila, Pepete