Kawal (food)

Obtusifolia being pounded
After 2-3 months fermentation
Kawal being prepared in the Southern United States in 2019

Kawal is food made of fermented leaves used as a meat substitute indigenous to western Sudan, in particular the Kordofan and Darfur provinces, and eastern Chad.[1][2][3] In urban areas, it is used as a condiment, similarly to black pepper.[3] It is also used by low-income families as a primary protein source, substituting or extending meat or fish in stews and sauces.[4] It is created from the fermented leaves of Cassia obtusifolia, a toxic wild legume also known as the kawal plant.[1]

It has a pungent odor which persists on the hands; it is said that "when you eat [kawal] with your right hand, you smell it on your left." For this reason, the elite of Sudan consider it a low-status food. In spite of this, kawal has spread across Sudan, possibly due to the plant's ability to grow vigorously in a variety of environments.[3]

Similar fermented meat substitutes found in this region include furundu, which is made from the seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa, and sigda, which is made with sesame seed cakes.[5]

  1. ^ a b Foods, National Research Council (US) Panel on the Applications of Biotechnology to Traditional Fermented (1992), "Leaf and Seed Fermentations of Western Sudan", Applications of Biotechnology to Fermented Foods: Report of an Ad Hoc Panel of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development, National Academies Press (US), retrieved 2023-07-26
  2. ^ Mbaiguinam, M.; Mahmout, Y.; Tarkodjiel, M.; Delobel, B.; Bessiere, J.-M. (2005). "Constituents of Kawal, fermented Cassia obtusifolia leaves, a traditional food from Chad". African Journal of Biotechnology. 4 (10). doi:10.4314/ajb.v4i10.71328 (inactive 2024-09-24). ISSN 1684-5315.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2024 (link)
  3. ^ a b c Dirar, Hamid A. (1984). "Kawal, Meat Substitute from Fermented Cassia obtusifolia Leaves". Economic Botany. 38 (3): 342–349. Bibcode:1984EcBot..38..342D. doi:10.1007/BF02859013. ISSN 0013-0001. JSTOR 4254649. S2CID 32446384.
  4. ^ Lawane, Abakar Idriss; Tidjani, Abdelsalam; Parkouda, Charles; François, Tapsoba; Hissein, Abdoullahi; Aly, Savadogo (2020-12-31). "Amino Acid Profiling of the Leaves of Senna Obtusifolia and Biochemical Changes during Fermentation for Production of Kawal, a Traditional Food Condiment" (PDF). Food Processing & Nutritional Science. 1 (2): 145–153. doi:10.46619/Fpns.2020.1-1013. S2CID 234467515.
  5. ^ "Sudan's Fermented Food Heritage| Sudanow Magazine". sudanow-magazine.net. Retrieved 2023-07-26.