African star apple – telling the African, Nigerian food story

Africa Star Apple is also known as white star apple.

The fruit is usually burnt orange – coloured when ripe and green-coloured when unripe. Most times, its colour can tilt towards orange or yellowish – peach.

The tender, sweet inner flesh is off-white with five seeds making the inner pulpy part look like a star-shaped fruit.

This definitely suggests where it got its name ‘star apple’ from.

This Vitamin C-enriched fruit is always in season, between December and April and sometimes, some part of May.

These 5-celled seedy fruit which has an edible, sweet fruit is a popular seasonal fruit normally consumed with it flesh. Its exotic fruit has a chewable edible skin.

Botanically called chrysophyllum albidum, the fruit is mostly cultivated in rural areas.

In many parts of West Africa, this pulpy fruit is commonly found and well relished. From Nigeria to other African countries like Cameroon, Cote d’ Ivorie, Uganda and Niger Republic, it is virtually the same story.

In South Western Nigeria, the name is Agbalumo, in South Eastern Nigeria, the name is either Udara or Udala and in most parts of Northern Nigeria, the name is Ciwo, Ciwoh or Agbaluma.

It is however, pertinent to note that the abundant sale of this fruit has become a source of income to the many rural and urban dwellers, mostly subsistent farmers and medium scale foodpreneurs and agropreneurs.

A whole lot of foodies love to relish agbalumo, not just as fruit, but as a wholesome food, for breakfast and dinner, although it is a good deal for healthy snack.

Health benefit and nutritional value

· The fruit is good for pregnant women, as the acidic taste of agbalumo usually helps prevent the urge of vomiting during pregnancy.

· The fruit has a sour-like taste that firms the palate of the mouth and helps excessive spitting and vomiting.

· A recent study by researchers at the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University Ogun State, Nigeria, showed that the fruit, helps to lower blood sugar and cholesterol.

· Udala is rich in Vitamin C. Its vitamin C is described as a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals because of its antioxidant properties.

· This pulpy fruit contains more vitamin C than orange and guava.

· Udara is also rich in calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phytochemicals.

· When eaten with its flesh, it can help to lower blood sugar and cholesterol in the body.

· Eating plenty of African Star Apple can help prevent and treat heart diseases, fight cancer and treat diabetes amongst others.

· The vitamin C aids in skin’s natural regeneration process, which helps the body repair damaged skin cells.

· Medicinally, it is a good remedy for sore-throat and tooth-ache.

· It can be useful for constipation

· Ciwoh good in preventing and treating heart diseases.

· The bark of the tree can be used traditionally to treat yellow fever and malaria, while the leaves can be used for treating wounds, stomach ache, and diarrhea.

· In some parts of Africa, Nigeria precisely, the seeds can be used to treat vaginal and skin infections.

· The fruit is a good source of calcium, each serving provides about 10 percent of the amount required each day. This is essential because calcium lends strength to the bones and teeth.

· Eating the fruit can help lessen symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, such as cramping and abdominal bloating.

· This fruit also contains 5 percent of the daily recommended value per serving of vitamin A.

So, visit the fruit market close to you and relish the uniqueness of the fruit.

Lydia Enyidiya Eke runs a food blog and food channel on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook tagged Gourmet Guide234. Remember to subscribe and follow.