Abstract
Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a drought tolerant crop, traditionally grown in Ethiopia. It has many usages: food, fodder, fibres and traditional medicine. Being perennial, enset improves local climate and soil conditions. It could contribute to improved food security in several drought-prone parts of the world. The aims of this study were to reveal the amino acids of enset corm, which can be cooked as a root crop, and to increase the general knowledge regarding chemical composition and energy values of different enset fractions. Water content was high, 85 to 90%, which is beneficial when used as fodder during dry periods. Enset corm contained 17 of 20 amino acids and had similar or higher concentration than potato of 12 of these. Leaves had 13% protein, among the highest available in Ethiopia, 20% crude fibre and 10% sugar; a good fodder and suitable for ensilage. The pseudostem, the main food source, was rich in soluble carbohydrates (80%) and starch (65%), but had low protein content (4%). An enset based diet should be supplemented with protein and complementary amino acids; for example from beans, which are suitable to intercrop with enset. Key words: Amino acids, corm, Ensete ventricosum, Ethiopia, Kocho, pseudo stem, root crop.
Highlights
Enset [false banana, Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, Musaceae] is a monocarpic short-lived perennial plant which is cultivated in Ethiopia since ancient times
The aims of this study were to reveal the amino acids of enset corm, which can be cooked as a root crop, and to increase the general knowledge regarding chemical composition and energy values of different enset fractions
This paper aims at contributing to food security in a changing climate by generally increasing the knowledge about enset as a food and fodder resource by analysing the nutritive values in fractions and combinations of fractions used, gaining more information about the variation within the species, and especially to analyse the amino acid content and concentration of the enset corm
Summary
Enset [false banana, Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, Musaceae] is a monocarpic short-lived perennial plant which is cultivated in Ethiopia since ancient times. About 20% of the human population in Ethiopia depends on enset as a food source (Brandt et al, 1997). 5 to 8 years after planting, and is grown with generations of plants mixed, being a reliable food source over time (Brandt et al, 1997; Dalbato, 2000). Edible parts of enset are the pseudostem (squeezing and fermentation gives the main food source from enset, a product called "kocho") and the corm (the underground stem) that can be cooked like an enormous potato, weighing up to 70 kg (Brandt et al, 1997)
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