Chikanda Explained

Chikanda
Alternate Name:Kinaka, Chinaka, Kikanda, African Polony, Zambian Polony, Zambian Sausage
Country: Zambia
Region:Southern Africa, East Africa
Type:Snack, Dessert, Side dish
Main Ingredient:Orchid tubers, Groundnut meal, Baking soda or ash water, Spices

Chikanda is a Zambian dish made from the boiled root tubers of terrestrial orchids also called chikanda.[1] [2] The dish is often called "African polony" because it has a texture that resembles bologna.[2] [3] Chikanda can be eaten as a snack, dessert, or an accompaniment to nshima, a maize flour porridge.[2]

Background

Chikanda has been eaten for hundreds of years by people in parts of Zambia, northern Malawi, and southwestern Tanzania.[4] The dish is traditionally associated with the Bemba tribe in northeast Zambia, although it is eaten throughout Zambia today.[2] For the Bemba, it is an integral part of the culture and is served at special occasions such as weddings.[3] Originally a food in the setting of rural scarcity, it has now shifted to an urban trend.[3] [4] Now, chikanda can be found being sold by street vendors, supermarkets, and large restaurants as the urban population has an increased demand for this rural tradition.[3]

In Malawi, it is thought that eating the dish will protect against sickness.[5]

In southwestern Tanzania, a similar dish called kinaka in Kiswahili are eaten by the Nyamwanga, Nyika, Nyiha, Fipa, Lungu, and Ndali.[4]

Ingredients

There are many different species of orchids used, but primarily from the Disa, Habenaria, and Satyrium genera.[1] [4] Researchers determined that 16 orchid species in 6 genera are in the chikanda trade.[6] The orchid roots resemble the shape of an Irish potato but is smaller in size.[7] The ash water or baking soda with their high pH likely provides supplemental minerals and leads to the soapy taste and firm texture of chikanda.[8]

Preparation

The tubers are dried and pounded.[2] Then, a mixture of the dried brown orchid meal and groundnut meal are boiled to form a slurry.[7] Dried chili peppers can also be added.[2] The slurry is thickened by soda, salted, and flavored with spices.[7] As it simmers, the slurry thickens into a cake and rises like dough.[7] It is usually served sliced.[2]

Sustainability issues

The orchid roots grow wild throughout Zambia.[7] However, due to the high demand, this had led to the present scarcity of the orchids in the country.[1] [3] Now, they are illegally imported from Tanzania, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, leading to the risk of overharvesting abroad.[1] [3] Traditional sustainability practices included only harvested tubers that have spread their seed and replanting stalks.[3] However, the locals have abandoned these practices due to increased demand.[3] The orchids are difficult to cultivate in captivity.[3] Current efforts for conservation focus on cultivating the threatened orchids.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Joshi, D.D. . Herbal Drugs and Fingerprints: Evidence Based Herbal Drugs . Springer India . 2012 . 978-81-322-0804-4 . 2021-10-10 . 9.
  2. Web site: Chikanda - Traditional Snack From Zambia . TasteAtlas . 2017-10-30 . 2021-10-10.
  3. Web site: In Zambia, a Craze for a Traditional Treat Is Endangering Wild Orchids . Atlas Obscura . March 2019 . 2021-10-10.
  4. Davenport . Tim R. B. . Ndangalasi . Henry J. . An escalating trade in orchid tubers across Tanzania's Southern Highlands: assessment, dynamics and conservation implications . Oryx . Cambridge University Press (CUP) . 37 . 1 . 2003 . 0030-6053 . 10.1017/s0030605303000127 . 85774089 . free .
  5. Book: Teoh, E.S. . Orchids as Aphrodisiac, Medicine or Food . Springer International Publishing . 2019 . 978-3-030-18255-7 . 2021-10-11 . 305.
  6. Veldman . Sarina . Kim . Seol-Jong . van Andel . Tinde . Bello Font . Maria . Bone . Ruth . Bytebier . Benny . Chuba . David . Gravendeel . Barbara . Martos . Florent . Mpatwa . Geophat . Ngugi . Grace . Vinya . Royd . Wightman . Nicholas . Yokoya . Kazutoma . de Boer . Hugo . Trade in Zambian Edible Orchids—DNA Barcoding Reveals the Use of Unexpected Orchid Taxa for Chikanda . Genes . MDPI AG . 9 . 12 . 2018-11-30 . 2073-4425 . 10.3390/genes9120595 . 595. 30513666 . 6315803 . free .
  7. Book: Zambia Alliance of Women . Food for Africa: The Promotion of Traditional and Under-utilized Foodstuffs : Report of a Regional Workshop . The Alliance . 1985 . 2021-10-10 . 34.
  8. Kaputo . M.T. . The role of ashes and sodium bicarbonate in a simulated meat product from chikanda tuber (Satyria siva) . Food Chemistry . Elsevier BV . 55 . 2 . 1996 . 0308-8146 . 10.1016/0308-8146(95)00073-9 . 115–119.