CULTIVATION, PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION OF ENSETE (ENSETE VENTRICOSUM) IN ETHIOPIA

In Ethiopia almost 10 million people are dependent on ensete (Ensete v entricosum (Welw) Cheesman), also known as 'false banana'. In the Gura ge area in Central Ethiopia, agronomic and nutritional aspects of ense te were studied in 60 households in six villages. Ensete is propagated vegetatively and has a 6-year growing cycle during which it is transp lanted three or four times. Men harvest the plants; women scrape the p seudo stem in order to separate the starchy pulp from the fibre, and p ulverise the corm. The pulp is fermented and stored for up to 5-7 year s in earthen pits. The yield of ensete food (ko'cho) was found to be 3 4 kg per plant or 9.5 tons ha(-1) per year. Compared with other foods grown in Ethiopia, the energy yield of ensete (6.1 MJ m(-2) per year) was higher than that of all cereals, Irish potato, sweet potato and ba nana, but lower than that of cassava. The protein yield of ensete was higher (11.4 g m(-2) per year) than all of the crops mentioned above, except for banana and Irish potato. To make ensete bread, fermented pu lp is squeezed to make it drier, chopped to shorten the fibres and a 2 cm layer is baked for 15 min. Unfermented freshly harvested corm is a lso eaten after boiling. All foods have a low protein content (4-22 g kg(-1)). Bu'lla, white desiccated juice collected from the pulp, is mo re energy rich (8.5 MJ kg(-1)) than ko'cho (6.5 MJ kg(-1)). A dietary survey, conducted in 39 households comprising 237 persons, showed that the average daily intake of 0.55 kg ensete provided 68% of total ener gy intake, 20% of protein, 28% of iron but no vitamin A. Energy intake from all food consumed was very low, being only 60% of requirements, while protein intake at 107% was ample. Since ensete can be stored for years, is readily available throughout the year and can withstand dry periods, its cultivation can significantly improve household food sec urity in highland areas prone to drought and famine.