Uncelebrated Wild Foods Beat Rivals on Flavor, Value

Nzaaya, a wild fruit. .Millennials are shying away from consuming wild foods. Photo: Pius Maundu

Last Saturday, I received a call from Stephen Mwanzia Mwalimu, an old time friend and neighbor. After exchanging pleasantries, he said he called to know if I was around so that we could meet. 

I was in Nairobi. Before he disconnected, I had to establish how the village was doing. The rains were back. 

“Kwanza ni kuseo muno, andu ni mekwova mukauwu,” he quipped in the local dialect, before bursting into mirth. Essentially, he said that the rains had brought with them mukauwu, a popular wild vegetable, and that the villagers were rejoicing in harvesting it. 

Mwanzia’s approach to the wild vegetable typifies its perception amongst the Millennials in the village and beyond. Other wild foods like Tamarind , Namba, Nzaaya, Makunu, and Ngaatu do not fare any better. Unlike the older generation, villagers born in the 1990s perceive these fruits, tubers and vegetables as symbols of backwardness. This is unfortunate. 

Wild foods are an important part of the food system anywhere in the world. For eons, these foods have supported generations, providing the necessary nutrients to keep humans going. Who isn’t aware of the economic activities of the early man?

Fast forward. Today, wild fruits are still popular. They are unparalleled supplements for conventional foods. Besides, wild foods are sources of very vital nutrients that are hard to find in conventional foods. Those experienced in taking porridge seasoned with Namba and Tamarind attest to the fact that the inherent flavor cannot compare with what lemons or chemical additives deliver. 

Today, Kenyans are turning to wild foods en masse. Akeyo, Usuga, Managu and Terere are some wild vegetables that are quickly replacing Kales and Cabbages in the mainstream foods list. Enthusiasts cite healthy reasons for this turn of events. Kenya is not alone. 

Wild food harvesting is gaining popularity in the United States. According to Rachael Kaufman in the article, “Urban Foragers Cropping Up in U.S.”, Americans are leaving the comfort of their markets and shopping malls to harvest wild fruits. No. Not for fun.

Wild foods are handy in mitigating food insecurity, a major challenge facing food systems. With an increasing demand for food in the world, wild foods will continue to be great ways of buttressing food sustainability. The goodness with wild foods is that they are economically friendly. The trees and shrubs from which these foods come grow in the bush. This hints on another benefit of wild foods: ecology

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Harvesting wild fruits is a plus to the environment. To continue reaping, communities have to ensure that their preferred tree species are not the targets of charcoal burners and loggers. This leaves the environment belching with satisfaction. Urban dwellers explore the environment in their wild food harvesting sprees.

But what are critics of wild foods eating?

Those opposed to wild foods advocate for conventional foods. Foods that rely on organic and commercial agriculture. While relying on organic foods could be OK, it is impossible to wish away the issue of sustainability. Eventually, the need for supplementation will knock. More importantly, the long miles these foods fly from the farm to the consumer means that their production and consumption is a detriment to the environment. 

Commercially grown foods are distasteful. Besides being major sources of ill health, these foods are a threat to biodiversity. The extensive use of fertilizers and chemical pesticides directly threatens other organisms in the ecosystem. Pullulated water is lethal to aquatic organisms. 

Back to Mwanzia. We concluded the conversation after the report on the rains and the wellbeing of the villagers. But even before I said the terminating “Bye,” I was wishing that Mwanzia could appreciate the place of wild foods and join me in celebrating the fact that the villagers were harvesting mukauwu.