| Abstract: | Enset, (Ensete ventricosum Welw) Cheesman, plant serves as a staple food for
about 20% of Ethiopian population. Processing of enset for food is based on
traditional knowledge of the people and varies among different enset growing
regions. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to assess and document
indigenous knowledge of traditional enset processing method in one of enset
growing areas of West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. The study was conducted using
Participatory Research Appraisal (PRA) system. which involved 132 respondents
in the high altitude and 126 in the mid-attitude sites. The major processing steps,
including, the traditional tools used, selection of mature enset plants, preparation
of fermentation pits and clearing of processing spots, pulverization and
decortication, bulla extraction, gamma preparation, storage of processed biomass
in the pit were described. Matured enset plants were identified by locally
established maturity signs, such as, size of the central shoot, appearance of
inflorescence and exposure of the corm. Among the respondents, 62.1% of those in
the high altitude and 93.6% in the mid altitude areas affirmed that enset plantreaches maturity between the age of four and seven years, while the remaining of
the respondents claimed that it takes eight or more years to reach maturity.
Traditionally, enset fermentation takes place in an earthen pit. October to early
December was considered to be the appropriate time for processing. Traditional
knowledge of enset processing has been generally owned by women and the
processing is normally unthinkable without them, signifying their role in securing
food supply for the households. Traditional enset processing is tedious, labour
intensive, unhygienic and is done using local tools with a lot of similarities in basic
steps of processing among different localities. This age-old processing of enset
would require the concerted effort of food microbiologists and food processing
technologists to lessen the pressure on women and to avoid spoilage during
fermentation in order to produce wholesome products. The important traditional
practices of enset processing that have been revealed during the present study
could be utilized as an information to improve the traditional processes, thus,
eventually contributing to food security. |
