Skip to main content

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT EGUSI (WHITE SEED MELON)

We all know what "Egusi" is, don't we?  It's one of my best when it comes to soup. Thanks to my mum who also taught me how to mix ogbono (bush mango) with Egusi. Most Nigerians enjoy Egusi especially when taken with Pounded Yam.

Now, let's get acquainted with this wonder seed..

It's scientific name is Citrullus Colocynthis. Cucumeropsis Manii is a species of melon in West Africa. Popularly regarded as Egusi in Yoruba and Agushi in Hausa. In English, it's known as white seed melon.

It's plant is grown most times for the seed oil than for the fruit. The seeds are processed into soups and oil products and can be eaten individually as snack.  This crop is significantly nutritional.  Adequately high in protein, vitamins and minerals.
The seed is 44% Oil, 30% Protein, 10% Carbohydrate and 3% Fiber. Vitamins like Thiamin, Niacin , B1 and B2 are also prevalent in the seed. Minerals like Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium,  Manganese, Sulfur, Calcium, Iron and Zinc is rampant in Egusi. Just 100g of the seed daily provides the necessary Fatty acid, Amino acid and Vitamin E requirements.

Major Egusi growing nations include Mali,  Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana and Benin. The seed contains every essential macro and micro nutrient in quantities ideal for nutrition.

Egusi melon looks almost identical to watermelon but they are different so don't be deceived.
The high oil and protein content of Egusi can make an excellent dietary supplement. It's oil can also be used for cooking meals.


  • Researchers have concluded that Egusi is suitable to use as an anti-inflammatory agent which signifies that Egusi helps reduce swelling or inflammation. If you have arthritis, opting for a diet on Egusi soup can help.



  • Egusi can be an essential supplementary baby food. Helps to terminate malnutrition. Blend the seeds with honey and water, then use as breast milk.



  • Flavonoids, Phenols and Tannins are prevalent in Egusi as active ingredients. Flavonoids is most famous for its antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and immune system health benefits. Phenols is commonly used as antiseptic and disinfectant. Highly active against microorganisms including fungi insomuch that Egusi can be used as a treatment for ailments caused by bacteria or fungi.



  • Egusi oil is essential in maintaining healthy glowing skin.  It can be used to produce soaps and creams especially for dry skin. 



  • The presence of Vitamin B1 facilitates easy digestion of food. Vitamin B1 plays an important role in maintaining a healthy nervous system. 

Vitamin B1 is used to extract energy from foods you eat by turning nutrients into useable energy in the form of ATP.
ATP means Adenosine triphosphate; it's job is to store and supply the cell with needed energy.  Vitamin B1 also can also boost one's appetite.


  • Egusi in a whole, possesses antidiabetic properties because of the presence of insulinotropic in its plant which stimulates the production of insulin(responsible for the modulation of glucose sugar level in the blood).
NB: Egusi oil has four main fatty acids namely palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. Linoleic acid is the most abundant which has protective effect against CHD (CORONARY HEART DISEASE). It is an unsaturated (good fat) omega 6 fatty acid necessary for healthy brain function, skin and hair growth, energy production and reproductive health.




Thanks for reading!

Comments

  1. Unknown18 November 2021 at 20:12

    Honey is toxic to babies below a year old. So mixing egusi and honey as breast milk substitute may be fatal. Please research more.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A TALENT, A SKILL AND A GIFT

Talents are natural and can be attributed to the natural genetic factors existing within us passed down from generation to generation. It is propagated naturally at birth. Talents and skills are often misconceived in conversations. Although both pertains to the ability of an individual to perform a particular task. A talent is permanent or naturally occurring in a person. It is said to be a special ability with experience or a specific tutoring. It is the ability to carry out a task without extra effort but yet perfect in enactment. Some people have it while some don't. A talent can be improved overtime with direction and training. A skill is an ability that is learned and practiced over a period of time. It is acquired or obtained as an outcome of perpetual improvement and performance on a given task. Skills are taught and regarded as a displayed talent unlike a talent which is a natural procurement of an ability. In other words, a skill is a result of a person'...
8 comments
Read more

HOW TO REMOVE LUMPS IN OGBONO SOUP

If you are not African, you might not know ogbono soup. Permit me to explain this to my non-African readers what ogbono is then we can proceed to the essence of this article. Ogbono soup is a Nigerian dish made with dry ground ogbono seeds.  It originated from the eastern part of Nigeria where the Igbos come from. The seed is sometimes known as wild mango, African mango or bush mango. Ogbono soup is easy to prepare and it is slimy in texture, similar to a soup called okra. The soup is called draw soup in English.  How to remove lumps in Ogbono soup; This soup is easy to make but if you don't start right, you will end up getting it wrong. If you ever find lumps while making this soup then something went wrong. I experienced this recently for the very first time and decided to share how I was able to get rid of the lumps. Usually, there are two methods in making this soup, you can either fry or boil the ground seeds. Well, the frying method is my style. When frying, you put the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

BENEFITS OF DATES (DABINO)

Do we all know what a date is? Date, locally known as Dabino in Hausa is from the date palm tree, a flowering plant specie in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for it's edible sweet fruit. Date trees reach about 69-75ft in height growing individually with several stem from a single root system. Date fruits are oval, ranging from bright red to bright yellow in color . They are sweet containing about 7.5 percent of sugar when dried. Dates are healthy but only in moderation. They're high in sugar and calories; so eating too many can result in weight gain. If you're trying to lose weight, avoid dates and stick to other fruits and vegetables. Dates are chewy with a sweet flavor. They are also high in some important nutrients and have a variety of advantages and uses. BENEFITS Their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit since its dried. Despite their calories, dates contain some important vitamins, minerals and a significant amount of fiber. Most of the ...
1 comment
Read more