Article 52: Lagos Spinach "Sokoyokoto"

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

The "Lagos Spinach" is a very popular vegetable in Lagos Metropolitan area markets. It is commonly sold in our markets all year round. A perenial herb, this vegetable makes an excellent pot-herb and a good, slightly bitter spinach relatively rich in protein and vitamins. The leaves are slightly diuretic. While being cooked, its slight bitterness is counteracted by the addition of ground melon and condiments:these enhance the taste of the soup tremendously.

The "Lagos Spinach" is botanically called "Celosia argentia, Family Amaranthaceae". In Lagos State , the vegetable is extremely popular among the Yoruba speaking populace. The Yoruba's call it "sokoyokoto". to emphasize the esteem in which the vegetable-plant is held by the Yoruba's the name 'Sokoyokoto" means "make husband fat"

During the dry season, this vegetable is scarce and costly. Farmers and gardners who engage in dry season farming make brisk business selling "Lagos Spinach" during theis time. During the rainy season, however, the vegetable is very plentiful and sells cheaply . The markets are always overflowing with it.

Illustrating Photos

Green Leafy 'Lagos Spinach" vegetables , alias "Sokoyokoto" on sale at the "Ejigbo" and "Idimu" Markets

Article 51: African Spinach (EFO TETE)

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

This vegetable is a perenial herb. It is available in Lagos area markets all year round. As expected, it is in great abundance during the rainy season. The "African Spinach" is called in vernacular "efo tete" and its botanically called "Amaranthus hybridus, Family Amaranthaceae". Historically, it is said to reach West Africa from Asia and now it is found in all parts of tropical Africa but it is rare in the savannah regions

The vegetable and indeed the whole of the plant is eaten and when cooked with condiments (plus meat or dried fish) produces the best of amaranth spinachs.

In our markets, this vegetable is mostly found in the form of a green, very leafy plant that is duretic and high in mineral content. It is rich in dietic requirements. Culturally, its dietic valueis recognised by the Yoruba speaking members of the State in an incantation to obtain money!It is used as a tape worm expellant and to relieve pulmonary problems.

Photo's The African Spinach "Efo Tete" Vegetable at the "Idimu" & "Agege" Markets

Article 50:African Egg Plant - Efo Igbo"

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

The 'African Egg Plant" is one of the most glamorous vegetables in Lagos Area Markets. The vegetable does not come to the market in comparatively large quantities like the others, yet the Yoruba speaking people of the cherish it a lot.

The plant is usually cultivated for its leaves, which are a bit bitter, but are much appreciated as a spinach in soups and sauces. The fruits are eaten occassionally but are mainly preserved for purposes of propagation.

Yoruba's in Lagos State call this vegetable "efo igbo" in vernacular. Botanically, it is called 'Solanum macrocarpon, Family Solanaceae". This vegetable is ofthen grown in gardens and orchards. The plant is glabrous i.e smooth, having a surface without hairs or projections. The leaves are a delight to watch both in their natural forms in gardens and market stall, too.

Finally, we should note that the "African Egg Plant" which bears the "Efo Igbo" vegetable is semi woody under shrub with several branches and rising up to 1.5 meters

Photographs A & B Freshly plucked "African Egg Plant" vegetables at the the Agege Market

Article 49: "GBURE" the "Water Leaf" Vegetable

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

As the name implies, the water leaf vegetable is extremely abundant during the rainy season. Urban and sub urban markets in Lagos area are always overflowing with water leaf vegetables everyday of the week. They are not only plentiful during this time, they sell cheaply too.

Ironically, the water leaf plant or "gbure" in our vernacular language is scientifically classified as a weed but in reality, it is a very "palatable weed"Its scientific name is "Talinum Triangulare, Family Portulacaeae"

The vegetable is eaten cooked as a pet-herb and in soups, as a condiment in sauces or raw in salad. It is reported by experts to be rich in mineral salts and amino-acids as well as having anti-scorbutic properties i.e prevention against the scurvy disease.

The water leaf vegetable is an erect, fleshy leafed and evergreen herb that is often cultivated almost everywhere in Lagos State. It is very easily propagated by cuttings and by seeds and it has a quick growing and short life cycle

Ilustrating Photos;

A. "Gbure" the waterleaf vegetable on sale at the Ejigbo Market

B. "Gbure" the waterleaf vegetable on sale at the Isolo Market

Article 48: The Fluted Pumpkin Vegetable "Ugu"

By S. Olanrewaju Disu

Rain or shine, the leaves of the "fluted pumpkin" plant provide a veritable vegetable source for a very large number of our teeming population. The leaves and the young shoots are picked continually as the plant grows. hence our markets are always selling the fluted pumpkin vegetable popularly called "ugu" in local parlance, all year round. During the rainy season, they are in great abundance and sell cheaply.

The "fluted pumpkin" plant derives the name from its fruit which when ripe may attain as much as 60cm in length by 25cm in diameter. The fruit's fibrous inner flesh contains 30-40seeds each about 2.5cm in diameter. Though the seeds are edible, they are often reserved for propagation. This particular vegetable is grown on stakes or trained up trees and it thrives best in plantation or closed forest country.

The leaves and young shoots of the "ugu" vegetable are frequently eaten as a pot herb and cooked as soups. Indeed, it is the most eaten vegetable among the Ibo speaking populace of Lagos State.Daily or weekly markets in Lagos area usually have reserved sections that exclusively sell "ugu" vegetables.

The vegetable is botanically known as "Telfairea occidentalis, Family Cucurbitaceae" It is medicinally important too. Medical doctors and nutritionists often recommend its consumption in cooked form to anemic patients. Many indigenes, especially those from the southern parts of Nigeria residing in Lagos State cook "ugu" vegetable along with "water leaf" vegetables and several condiments to form delicious dishes.

As mentioned earlier, our markets in Lagos area are often inundated with "ugu" vegetables during the rainy season so much that some tradersusually resort to street hawking to off load the excess loads of green farm fresh and leafy "ugu" vegetables

Photo's

Photo (A) 'ugu" the fluted pumpkin vegetable on sale at the Ejigbo amin market

Photo B "Ugu" vegetable growing on stakes at a plantain in Lagos