The Department of Consumer Science at the University of Zululand recently held a first of its kind workshop on Food Safety and Quality Assurance in Post-Harvest Processing of Amaranthus (imbuya).
Also attended by community members as well as students, the highlight of the event was the creation of a shelf stable, nutritious, intermediary marketable Amaranthus product. Imbuya leaf powder was used to produce a variety of value-added bakery and desert products.
The Amaranthus plant is a spinach-like vegetable normally eaten as a leafy vegetable. The vegetable grows in the wild in certain parts of the country.
The Consumer Sciences Department is currently conducting research on a number of products made from indigenous foods.
“Food safety is a public health priority and an essential step to achieving food security, fostering economic development and improve livelihoods,” said Thembi Kheswa, a Lecturer in the Consumer Science Department. “There is a need to strengthen capacity of local producers to meet such standard requirements in terms of the safety and quality of traditional crops and processed foods,” said Kheswa.
Students attending the workshop said they learnt a lot from the event, such as the fact that imbuya can also be used for baking as well in the creation of desserts.
Thobile Ntuli, a community member echoed the students’ sentiments, saying, “We learnt that there is so much that you can do with imbuya. We’ve known the plant for ages but we didn’t know just how much you can do with it. Children especially don’t like imbuya but if you put it in biscuits, they can get its nutrient from there without even knowing about it,” said Ntuli.
– Precious Shamase
Pictured: Some of the tasty treats created from the imbuya (amaranthus) indigenous plant.
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На святковий стіл обов’язково приготуйте Бельгійські вафлі. Вони виходять м’якими всередині та хрусткими ззовні, ідеально підходять для сніданку з медом або вершками.
This workshop sounds super interesting! It’s great to see the University of Zululand spotlighting indigenous foods like Amaranthus. Using imbuya leaf powder to make value-added products is genius. It makes me wonder what other traditional foods could be transformed into cool new treats. I once tried making a snack from a local wild plant, and it was a fun experiment. How do you think these new Amaranthus products will fare in the market?
This is such an interesting and important initiative. I love how Amaranthus, which has been a staple in many cultures, is now being used in new ways like baking biscuits and desserts to make it more appealing, especially for kids. It reminds me of how places like Swensen’s in Singapore creatively incorporate local ingredients into their Swensens menu, making traditional flavors more exciting and accessible. Their approach is something that could really resonate with efforts to bring indigenous foods, like Amaranthus, to a wider audience. It’s all about finding new ways to enjoy and preserve these valuable foods for future generations.
Wow, this is such an inspiring initiative. I had no idea imbuya could be turned into so many different things like baked goods and desserts—what a smart way to get kids to eat something healthy without even realizing it. It reminds me of how places like Sonic Drive-In make ordinary treats fun and appealing, especially during Sonic happy hour when you can try different drink flavors and snacks for less. It just shows that with a little creativity, even traditional foods can be made exciting and enjoyable for everyone.