Edible Indigenous
A variety of indigenous plants have been eaten over the years.
Most are cooked before being eaten, other than fruit and some leaves
which are used as a relish.
Leaves – about 120 species are eaten
These are mostly cooked and then dry meal is added to make a green
porridge, fresh leaves are then added just before serving.
Cooked leaves are also made into cakes which are served as a side dish.
At the end of summer, leaves are dried for winter use.
Acacia caffra – Common Hook Thorn
Asparagus sp – Cats Tails Asparagus
Bulbine frutescens – Stalked Bulbine
Centella asiatica – Pennywort
Diascia integerrima – Twinspurs
Dombeya rotundifloia – Wild Pear
Eriocephalus africanus – Wild Rosemary
Hypoestes aristata – Ribbon Bush
Imperata cylindrica – Cottonwool Grass
Pavetta lanceolata – Weeping Bride’s Bush
Phoenix reclinata – Wild Date Palm
Portulacaria afra – Spekboom
Trema orientalis – Pigeon Wood
Tulbaghia violacea – Wild Garlic
Zantedescia aethiopica – Arum Lily
Zantedescia albomaculata – Arrow Leaf Arum
Fruit – about 1000 species of fruit are eaten
The fruit is either eaten raw, dried or ground into a paste which is then cooked with leaves or meal.
Berchemia zeheri – Red Ivory
Carissa macrocarpa – Big Num Num
Carpobrotus – Sour Fig
Cassinopsis illicifolia – Holly Cassinopsis, Lemon Thorn
Celtis africana – White Stinkwood
Chrysanthemoides monilifera – Bush Tick Berry
Diopsyros lycioides – Transvaal Bluebush
Diospyros simii – Star Apple
Diospyros whyteana – Bladder Nut
Dodonaea angustifolia – Sand Olive
Dovyalis caffra – Kei Apple
Dovyalis zeheri – Wild Apricot
Ehretia rigida – Puzzle Bush
Ekebergia capensis – Cape Ash
Euclea crispa – Blue Guarri
Gardenia cornuta – Natal Gardenia
Gardenia thunbergia – Starry Gardenia
Grewia occidentalis – Crossberry
Halleria lucida – Tree Fuchsia
Harpephyllum caffrum – Wild Plum
Jasminum multipartitum – Starry Wild Jasmine
Kraussia floribunda – Rhino Coffee
Mimusops zeyheri – Transvaal Red Milkwood
Ochna serrulata – Mickey Mouse Bush
Olea africana – Wild Olive
Pappea capensis – Jacket Plum
Phoenix reclinata – Wild Date Palm
Podocarpus falcatus – Outeniqua Yellowwood
Podocarpus latifolius – Real Yellowwood
Portulacaria afra – Spekboom
Rhoicissus sp
Rhus lancea – Karee
Rhus leptodycta – Mountain Karee
Scutia myrtina – Cat Thorn
Strychnos spinosa – Spinny Monkey Orange
Tabernaemontana elegans – Toad Tree
Trichilia emetica – Natal Mahogany
Typha capensis – Bullrush
Vangueria infausta – Wild Medlar
Vitex obovata – Kei Fingerleaf
Ziziphus mucronata – Buffalo Thorn
Meel
Dried, ground seed made into a porridge and mixed with milk.
Rhus sp
Schotia sp
Teas
Fresh or dried leaves are added to boiling water to make an infusion.
Buddleja auriculata – Weeping Sage
Buddleja salvifolia – Sagewood
Geranium incanum – Carpet Geranium
Olea africana – Wild Olive
Coffee
Dried leaves and roots are used to make a coffee substitute .In some cases the seeds are dried, roasted and then ground for coffee.
Acacia sp
Diospyros whyteana – Bladder Nut
Strelitzia nicolai – Natal Wild Banana
Schotia sp
Ziziphus mucronata – Buffalo Thorn
Wine and beer
The process always starts with a fermented cereal or berries eg.(Marula) and frequently leaves are then used to flavour the brew eg.(Rhamnus prinoides).
Beer
Kiggelaria africana – Wild Peach
Phoenix reclinata – Wild Date Palm
Wine
Phoenix reclinata – Wild Date Palm
Vangueria infausta – Wild Medlar
Ziziphus mucronata – Buffalo Thorn
Salt substitute
Cyperus alternifolius – Umbrella Plant – burnt and the ash is used as salt
Edible roots
Agapanthus praecox – Common Agapanthus
Aponogeton distachyos – Cape Pondweed
Commiphora mossambicensis – Pepper-Leaf Corkwood
Crassula ovata – Pink Joy
Cussonia paniculata – Cabbage Tree
Markhamia acuminate
Rhoisissus tridentata – Baboon Grape
Flowers
The nectar is sucked out of Aloe flowers and others are cooked with meel.
Aloe sp
Aponogeton distachyos – Cape Pondweed
Bulbine frutescens – Stalked Bulbine
Dombeya rotundifloia – Wild Pear
Ensete ventricosum – African Wild Banana
Gladiolus sp
Halleria lucida – Tree Fuchsia
Hibiscus sp
Tulbaghia acutiloba – Wild Garlic
Tulbaghia violacea – Siler Lace
Gum – chewed mainly by children
Acacia sp
Warning
In a garden environment where fertilizers are used extensively, leaves could cause nitrate poisoning .Rather collect leaves from the wild.
Unless you know what you are doing, AVOID the following:
All plants with milky latex except for the Ficus family (figs) and Carissa family
All mushrooms and fungi
All fruit that look like tomatoes
All bulbs that are onion shapes and underground tubers
References
Fox,FW.Norwood Young ,M.E 1992 Food from Veld Delta Books,Craighall