Alligator pepper

Alligator pepper (wanda aka fi sani da Ishitɛ, Ata Ire, Ose Oji, mbongo spice, ntuen ibok, ko hepper pepper) kayan yaji ne na Yammacin Afirka da aka yi daga tsaba da tsaba na Aframomum daniellii, A. citratum, ko A. exscapum . Yana da dangi na kusa da hatsi da aka samo daga nau'in da ke da alaƙa da juna, Aframomum melegueta ko "ƙwayoyin aljanna". Ba kamar hatsi na aljanna ba, wanda galibi ana sayar da shi azaman tsaba na shuka, ana sayar da alligator pepper azaman dukkan kwalba da ke dauke da tsaba (a cikin wannan hanyar ga wani dangi na kusa, baƙar fata cardamom).

Tsire-tsire waɗanda ke samar da alligator pepper sune tsire-tsalle masu tsire-shuke, masu tsire'a, tsire-tire masu fure na dangin ginger (Zingiberaceae), 'yan asalin wuraren da ke da santsi a bakin tekun Yammacin Afirka. Da zarar an buɗe kwalba kuma an bayyana tsaba, dalilin da ya sa wannan sunan Ingilishi na yau na kullum ya zama bayyananne yayin da tsaba ke da fata na takarda da ke kewaye da su kuma ƙwayoyin tsaba a cikin wannan fata suna tunatar da baya na alligator.

A matsayin mai yaji, ana sayar da tsaba na alligator pepper sau da yawa a matsayin hatsi da aka ware daga kwandon kuma tare da cire fata na waje. Mbongo kayan yaji galibi ko dai A. danielli ko A. citratum, kuma yana da ƙanshin furanni fiye da A. exscapum (wanda shine tushen da aka fi sani da dukan kwasfan).

Abinda aka saba amfani da shi a cikin abincin Afirka ta Yamma, inda yake ba da ƙanshin ƙanshi da ƙanƙara ga miya da stews.

 Amfani da abinci 
Ko da a Yammacin Afirka, alligator pepper kayan yaji ne mai tsada, don haka ana amfani dashi da yawa. Sau da yawa, ana buga kwalliya guda ɗaya a cikin pestle da tururi kafin a kara rabin sa (tare da baƙar fata) a matsayin ɗanɗano ga soya na Yammacin Afirka ko shinkafa da aka dafa. Hakanan za'a iya maye gurbin kayan yaji a kowane girke-girke ta amfani da hatsi na aljanna ko baƙar fata don samar da ɗanɗano mai zafi da ɗanɗwano.

Lokacin da aka haifi jarirai a al'adar Yarbawa, ana ba su ɗanɗano ɗanɗano ɗanɗanon barkono (atare) jim kaɗan bayan haihuwa a matsayin wani ɓangare na tsarin maraba da jarirai na yau da kullun, kuma ana amfani da shi azaman sinadari a wurin tarurrukan gargajiya.

A cikin Igboland, ana amfani da alligator pepper, ósè ọ́jị́ tare da kola nut a cikin bukukuwan suna, a matsayin gabatarwa ga baƙi masu ziyara, da kuma sauran abubuwan zamantakewa tare da al'adar kola nut. Ibo suna nan kuma suna cin alligator pepper tare da kola nut. A kusan kowane bikin Igbo, ana gabatar da alligator peppers da kola nuts ga baƙi a saman ajanda kuma kafin kowane abinci ko nishaɗi. Ana yin addu'o'i da giya tare da kwai da alligator pepper.

A Ibibio, Efik (Jihar Akwa Ibom da Jihar Cross River ta Najeriya inda aka sani da Ntuen Ibok, yana da babban bangare a cikin bukukuwan da kuma amfani da shi don dalilai na magani.

A lokacin annobar COVID-19, an yi amfani da shi a magani.

 Manazarta 

 Haɗin waje 

 Celtnet Spice Guide[usurped]  (accessed July 21, 2007)
 Gernot Katzer's spice dictionary  (accessed July 22, 2007)