ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA

 

Names of Edible Fruits.

Abanyala ba Kakamega have names for various edible fruit in Olunyala (K). Though fruits are called ebiamo, the Kiswahili word amatunda is now greatly used.

Among the Abanyala traditional community, it was unheard of for a day to end without one eating a fruit. Specific fruits were used as meals for the sick ss part of the medication. Unlike other meals such as ugali that had specific times for eating, fruits did not have specific times of eating them since they were eaten where they were found and a few carried home. Also, nobody owned fruits on a fruit trees- even if the fruits were in a person's home.

We have fruits wihich are eaten as part of food and fruits which are taken as medicinal prescription. The following are some of the names of the edible fruits in Olunyala (K).

A) NAMES OF COMMON EDIBLE FRUITS IN OLUNYALA (K)

1. Amakoyakoye- Paulinia pinnata L. 
   
2. Amaloobaswa- Lannea edulis. They are now almost extinct due to overexploitation. They were common in raised dry grounds such as old anthills and rocky hills. They had a single small seed in the middle. Good meal for people with stomach upsets and those recovering from sexually transmitted diseases. Also a great assets in stabilizing the size of the birth canal before and after birth.

   

   Amalobaswa

3. Amachuku- air potato. They are eaten after cooking. It root tuber is called eseebe. They were believed to be medicinal for respiratory deseases, energy in men, stomach problems and some ulcers. They also cured unnatural yellowing of the skin.

   

   Amachuku

4. Amakanda ka owang'i- have black seeds with white juicy paste. They grow on climbers called engoye which were used in making the base of granaries.
   
5. Amakhamba- A type of banana whose fruit has hard black seeds. They are called seeded bananas or Musa brachycarpa. It was consumed to reduce the effects of excessive urination that caused thirst and fatigue.

   

   Amakhamba

6. Amakhùwa- Tamarinds. Believed to be medicinal in managing overwheight, endwaasi, heartaches, fatigue, constant urination and upper chest pains. Its sap was put in bath water for royal wives to make their skin to glow. 
   
7. Amalekhula- butternut gourd. Good for those aiming at reducing weight.

   

   Amalekhula

8. Amasima-bakeni- Securidaca longipendinculata Fres 
   
9. Amasiteti- Fruits of Grewia trichocorpa or fruits of Grewia bicolor A. Juss 
   
10. Amasuukuma- Opundia ficus cactus fruits. They are fruits from the cactus tree. The fruits are eaten when ripe. They are good for heartache, fatigue and frequent urination that comes with blurred vision.
    
11. Amatakho ka basakhulu- crossberry 
    
12. Amalondang'ombe- Bridelia micrantha. Usually liked by the children for they reduced cough and throat infections. 
    
13. Amaluulu- fruits of white star apple or Chrysophylum albidum. Loved by the elderly for they were believed to cure ailments that came with old age such as chest pain assiciated with heartbeat.

    

    Amaluulu
14. Amanyulula- Fruits of Sclerocarya birreas. They were also added to local brew to make it bitter-sweet. The fruits are said to be good for coughs in children and prolonged constipation.
    
15. Ebiberebere- lantana trifolia. The fruits are helpful if taken after heavy meals. The leaves juice is good for indigestion and general body pain.
    
16. Ebichakhuchakhu-
17. Ebichalalya- miracle berry. The fruit reduces the sensitivity of the tongue to taste bitterness or sweetness making them tasteless.
    
18. Ebisira matakho- pepper vine or fruits of Ampelopsis arborea. They are good at reducing the effects of hungover after heavy drinking.
    
19. Echabungwe- Saba Comorensis or rubber vine fruit.
    
20. Echemwa (amachemwa)- banana 

    

    Echemwa

21. Echungwa (amachungwa)- orange
22. Efeneesi- jackfruit.

    

    Efenesi

23. Efutu- vitex doniania 

    

    Efutumbwe

24. Efutumbwe- vitex payos or chocolate berry. Almost similar to efutu but smaller. 
    
25. Efwoche- Annona Senegalensis or sugar apple. Its fruit has a rough diamond like surface (okhwefochola) and usually hard even when ripe. 

    

    Efwocho
26. Efwora- Annona ssp . Its fruit has a smooth surface without diamond like roughness. When ripe, it is soft on touch (okhufworafora) 

    

    Efwora

27. Ekalabasya- star fruit.

    

    Ekalabasya

28. Ekomosi- Vangueria infausta. Commonly confused as etekesi.
    
29. Ekotolofia (Ovakato)- Avocado 
    
30. Ekhaukhau- varieties of wild pears. 
31. Ekhomeri-  Antidesma venosum
    
32. Ekhuyu (amakhuyu)- Ficus sycomorus 
    
33. Ekhoomooli- a species of ekhomosi that is fleshy and yummy when ripe.
34. Elamaalama (amalamalama- piliostigma thonningii. The fruit pulp was said to be good in reducing heart pain, coughs and stomach pains.
    
35. Ehondo- almost spherical type of pumpkin. The seeds were used to make paste for soup. The seeds from the pumpking are good source of medicine for prostrate enlargement, male energy and appetite.
    
36. Ekhamba (amakhamba)- seeded wild bananas. 
    
37. Eliinda (amaliinda)- Pappea capensis 
    
38. Eliongo- long type of pumpkin. It grows (okhweyonga) making a longer extention. Eaten after cooking.
    
39.  Emangata-
40. 
    
41. Emanganya- dates from palm tree. 
    
42. Embingili- lantana seeds. 
    
43. Endimu- Lemmon 
    
44. Engayu- Tylosema fossoglense. The edible tubber is called omukhayikwa.
    
45. Engutie-
46. Enjuli- loquats 
    
47. Eombo echusuli- 
48. Eombo echalamachi- watermelon. The seeds were used to reduce the growth of prostrate swellings.
    
49. Eombo echoko- Choyote 

    

50. Eombo netoondo- Coccnia grandis or Ivy gourd. Eaten after cooking. Used by excessively fat people. The fruit and leaves were administered to cure snoring. This should not be confused with another Coccinia species called fruit of eombo lia nanjukha (eombolia) that is not eaten. 
    
51. Eombo Namacheke- Thorn melon. It was believed to be very medicinal and liked by the elderly.
    
52. Eombo nasundo- Bitter gourd fruit. Used as meal to help clear body poisoning, hungovers, body tumours, obesity and rheumatic fever. 
    
53. Epayipayi- pawpaw 
    
54. Epiripiiri- papper 
55. Eriinda (amariinda)- Morinda Citrifloria. Almost similar to efwocho but turns whitish when ripe.
    
56. Esabale (amasabale)- 
57. Esaaiye (amasaaiye) also pronounced as amasalire. The fruits of Aframomum sanguineum. They are of twi types based on their colours when ripe.. They were believed to excellent for male energy among ageing men and those receiving treatment from impotence.
    
58. Eseebe-
59. Esikamunye- Hoslundia opposita. Eaten by men going for wooing, dowry negotiations or peace talks for they helped to make ones mind sobber. The fruits are also good for those with colic pain attacks as well as cramping that comes with bloody diarrhoea.
    
60. Esikakha sikhasi (Enanasi)- pineapple. The fruit was believed to help eliminate interstinal warms.
    
61. Esiitole (amasiitile)- syzygium cordatum. The fruits are very medicinal.
    
62. Eteekesi (amatekeesi)- water pear or zyzygium guineense. Almost similar to owusemwa but slightly bigger. 
    
63. Etuunda (amatuunda)- passion fruit. The word has no borrowing relationship with the Kiswahili word tunda.
    
64. Eyembe- mango. The indigenous mangoes were small and almost round.
    
65. Nasio
66. Namulwa- Gape gooseberry or physalis vulgaris. Very medicinal in nature for children who drool saliva.
    
67. Namulwangutie- Physalis lagascae. Same to namulwa but smaller in size and different in taste. 
    
68. Namwelolobero- 
69. Olukeiaba- Kei apple. It is believed that kei apple was phonetically domesticated as kaiaba.
    
70. Olwabari- mulbery. The red mulberry is called owutiomera and the white mulbery is refered to as awunuku. The were almost common in every home since they were very medicinal.
    
71. Onjoka- Carrissa spinarum fruits. The fruits and every other part of the plant have been believed to have great medicinal value treating more that twenty deseases among Abanyala. Due to this, different parts have different names. The fruit is called onjoka, the entire stem and leaves are calles esikata while the root is called wachoonge. That is why we have a proverb: wachoonge ba luyaba . This can be translated as 'Carrissa spinarum is uprooted and put into use by the one in need.'
72. Owukarambi- wild thornless berries such as robus pinatus
73. Owunani- wild thorny stemed fruit berries such as blackberries, Rubus apetalus, Rubus roseus, Rubus rosefolius, Rubus niveus, Rubus rgidue, Rubus fraxinifolius
    
74. Owunyambarua- indian plum. 
    
75. Owunyumbuti- olive fruits or Olea europaea. 
    
76. Owunyungulwe- The fruits of Flacourtia indica or governor's plum.
    
77. Owusangula wukhasi- Rhus vulgaris 
    
78. Owusangula wusacha- rhus natelensis 
79. Owusemwa- water berries. 
    
80. Songolamunwa- Dovyalis macrocalyx 
    
81. S

B) NAMES OF NON EDIBLE FRUITS ONLY USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES

1. Amachaabi- African Sausage tree or Kigelia Africana fruit. The fresh and dried fruits can be boiled with water and given to patients to treat stomach problems, scally knees disease, stomach ulcers, body sores and wounds, syphilis and rheumatism. Also used for sexual asthenia, infertility, mastitis, oedema in legs and hernia. 
   
   

   

   Amachaabi

2. Enjulanjula- solanum incanum fruit. Fruit juice is used to kill worms that eat roots of farm vegetable. Juice is also good for mycotic skin rashes due to scabies and ringworms. Also put in colostrum milk to make it clot well and counter bloating (embiye). Crushed seed and pulp used as mouth was to releave pain from toothache and gingivitis. Powdered fruit is goos in chicken nests to reduce chicken mites.
   
3. Esimuka-
4. Eombo lia enjukha (eombolia)- it was called so to scate children from eating it since a large dose of it is poisonous. It is the fruit fromthe bitter gourd or Cucumis dipsaceus climber. Small bit of its juice was mixed with eggs and drunk to induce vomiting in the event of having swallowed poison.
   
5. Olunani luboro- Toddalia asiaticaToddalia or African orange cherry fruits. Sap taken and drank to treat bronchial pain and some respiratory diseases. Also good for male energy.