Author Topic: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?  (Read 6442 times)

Jared

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Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« on: April 25, 2017, 09:45:28 AM »
Well... I'm planning a trip for the winter and thinking of going somewhere in Africa.Its such a huge continent and I don't know where to start.
Does anyone know of any countries that are especially interesting for fruit? Preferably one that is safe and not too expensive :)
I will have 3-4 weeks, so I was thinking of stopping in one country in Eastern Africa and then flying to Madagascar to see the Ave of Baobabs and then maybe flying out to the Seychelles if I get a lead on tracking down a Coco de mer. (any tips?)

- Jared
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spaugh

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2017, 12:05:21 PM »
I hear somalia is nice this time of year. 
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2017, 01:30:11 PM »
Maybe hit the markets in Kampala, Uganda and while you're there go check out Murchison Falls / Victoria Nile from Jinja - just watch out for crocs and hippo. You probably won't find much other fruit outside of mango, banana, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, melon, tomato, citrus, cucumber, pumpkin. There is also this place near Jinja http://www.busainofruits.com/About.htm

HIfarm

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2017, 02:00:16 PM »
There are  a lot of really fascinating & obscure fruits out of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon region.  However, I am uncertain of safety & stability in that region (it might be a little more excitement than you are seeking).  There is a link to Paul Noren's presentation on some of these fruits in the library section.

John

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2017, 05:36:31 PM »
Never been to Africa, but I think the hard part will be the "safe" requirement. I would guess the countries on the west coast would have the richest bounties, like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon. Seychelle islands would be safe, and is supposed to be very beautiful, but also very expensive. I do know that to be able to take double coconut (Lodoicea) out of the country you need a government permit, and that will cost at least $600, and you need to pre arrange that.
Anyway, make sure to report back after your trip as would love to hear about your experiences.
Oscar

Future

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2017, 08:22:38 PM »
So far I've been to Ghana, Benin, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Gambia.  I wasn't into fruit for many of these trips so my best experience has been Sierra Leone - where my wife is from. 

Are you aware of how big coco de mer is?  Perhaps that is your interest.

In general, research seasons for wherever you go as availability changes a lot.  I have not been to Uganda yet but it seems a higher appreciation for fruit there than many places from my contact's words.  Safety has never been an issue for me in all my travels.  The usual guidelines will apply for things like water (drink bottled etc.).

While there is much fruit I am sure to be found, serious development potential has not yet yielded serious cultivars, to my knowledge.  Oh, South Africa also has quite a lot to offer.

Good fortune.


Jared

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2017, 09:24:41 PM »
Never been to Africa, but I think the hard part will be the "safe" requirement. I would guess the countries on the west coast would have the richest bounties, like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon. Seychelle islands would be safe, and is supposed to be very beautiful, but also very expensive. I do know that to be able to take double coconut (Lodoicea) out of the country you need a government permit, and that will cost at least $600, and you need to pre arrange that.
Anyway, make sure to report back after your trip as would love to hear about your experiences.

Thanks! I was thinking of sticking around the East, but if the west is better for fruit then that certainly is up for consideration. I don't plan on taking the coco de mer out of the country (maybe one of the shells) I more just want to try the fruit while I'm there.. tricky part is just getting my hands on one... legally.

So far I've been to Ghana, Benin, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Gambia.  I wasn't into fruit for many of these trips so my best experience has been Sierra Leone - where my wife is from. 

Are you aware of how big coco de mer is?  Perhaps that is your interest.

In general, research seasons for wherever you go as availability changes a lot.  I have not been to Uganda yet but it seems a higher appreciation for fruit there than many places from my contact's words.  Safety has never been an issue for me in all my travels.  The usual guidelines will apply for things like water (drink bottled etc.).

While there is much fruit I am sure to be found, serious development potential has not yet yielded serious cultivars, to my knowledge.  Oh, South Africa also has quite a lot to offer.

Good fortune.

Future, thanks for the input. I'm only really interested in trying fruits that I haven't had. So the goal of finding a coco de mer is to eat its flesh. If you have any leads I would love to hear it, I know they are strictly controlled. I'm thinking that maybe I can try to go to where they are processed for export.

Uganda would be interesting I think and not too bad of a connection to continue on to Madagascar and Seychelles. Any specific fruits to look out for?


- Jared
Check out my youtube series, Weird Fruit Explorer:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UChsbD6Clp-ZPqKwXJR3V7DQ

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2017, 11:35:17 PM »
If you want to go to Uganda you should contact Soren, who is a forum member and lives there, in Kampala, i believe.
Oscar

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2017, 12:43:11 AM »
I have been around Africa a bit. If it is native African species you want then there are a few biomes you might want to visit.Kenyan/Tanzanian/ethopia, highish areas,Central wet elevated like parts of Uganda,Camaroon, Congo basin to Sierra Leone,Nigeria, Sothern Mediterranean and drier climates like SA,Zim. Maybe just target the key species.

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2017, 01:23:36 AM »
Problem is finding the indigenous fruit. In many countries there is a bit of a stigma for these kinds of fruits as poor peoples food only. Some markets have stuff but not always:(

Your best bet is probably to contact people before hand or investigate seasons of what you want and visit Bot gardens. In Southern part of Africa Marula is around late Jan into Feb and maybe March. Mobola plum Iv eaten in October.

If coming to Africa you just have to try Marula:) I think Isreal has trials with alot of African species maybe there would be a good bet?

This guy has orchards with quite a few species maybe you could contact him? I know he grows monkey oranges and very large Marula fruit

http://www.ebay.com/usr/lsraseeds?_trksid=p2053788.m1543.l2754
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
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Future

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2017, 05:20:17 PM »
Never been to Africa, but I think the hard part will be the "safe" requirement. I would guess the countries on the west coast would have the richest bounties, like Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon. Seychelle islands would be safe, and is supposed to be very beautiful, but also very expensive. I do know that to be able to take double coconut (Lodoicea) out of the country you need a government permit, and that will cost at least $600, and you need to pre arrange that.
Anyway, make sure to report back after your trip as would love to hear about your experiences.

Thanks! I was thinking of sticking around the East, but if the west is better for fruit then that certainly is up for consideration. I don't plan on taking the coco de mer out of the country (maybe one of the shells) I more just want to try the fruit while I'm there.. tricky part is just getting my hands on one... legally.

So far I've been to Ghana, Benin, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Gambia.  I wasn't into fruit for many of these trips so my best experience has been Sierra Leone - where my wife is from. 

Are you aware of how big coco de mer is?  Perhaps that is your interest.

In general, research seasons for wherever you go as availability changes a lot.  I have not been to Uganda yet but it seems a higher appreciation for fruit there than many places from my contact's words.  Safety has never been an issue for me in all my travels.  The usual guidelines will apply for things like water (drink bottled etc.).

While there is much fruit I am sure to be found, serious development potential has not yet yielded serious cultivars, to my knowledge.  Oh, South Africa also has quite a lot to offer.

Good fortune.

Future, thanks for the input. I'm only really interested in trying fruits that I haven't had. So the goal of finding a coco de mer is to eat its flesh. If you have any leads I would love to hear it, I know they are strictly controlled. I'm thinking that maybe I can try to go to where they are processed for export.

Uganda would be interesting I think and not too bad of a connection to continue on to Madagascar and Seychelles. Any specific fruits to look out for?
Presuming you have had "the usual", You would have to do some real hunting to find fruit you haven't had.  That would be fun, possibly hit and miss though.  the few new fruit I have had were unremarkable.

LivingParadise

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2017, 07:13:37 AM »
I have been around Africa a bit. If it is native African species you want then there are a few biomes you might want to visit.Kenyan/Tanzanian/ethopia, highish areas,

My experience of Ethiopia was that it is a beautiful country, with amazing culture and mouthwatering food - FAR better than any Ethiopian food I've ever tasted in the US - but not that it was great for rare fruits. The most produced crops are mango, banana, papaya, avocado, citrus, grape, and pineapple. I had guava there. The fruit was delicious, and they have favorable growing conditions for a lot of fruits. But, there is not really an incentive to grow much variety in that region since money is made off of crops like coffee, teff, etc. Anybody who has the ability to intentionally grow something, will tend to grow what supplements their income - not just their personal tastes. This is also reflected in what you can buy in the local markets. Also you have to keep in mind that the Eastern/Horn of Africa region is heavily affected by dry vs. rainy season. The winter will be dry season for them. So most areas will have desert conditions. I was there in the rainy season when the Blue Nile was overflowing and looked like Niagara Falls.

I would highly recommend it as a country to visit, but not for rare fruit unless you have a specific contact you know of who can hook you up. On the other hand, rare and unique culture (including exotic dishes), they have plenty of! I spent 3 weeks there, traveling all over the country, and made lifelong friends and had amazing experiences that changed my life. I long to go back soon.

If you wanted to give it a try, I would focus on the market in Addis Ababa - Addis Merkato - which is the largest market in Africa. If you can figure out how to navigate it (probably with a guide), you might be able to find the unusual fruits (and probably also vegetables) there. But it is HUGE, and what you find is going to be hit or miss. Like any market, time of day is also a big factor.

https://migrationology.com/addis-mercato-market/

Consider time of year in your destination selection. The time you're going is going to limit you in a number of areas of the continent. You might need to focus on the rainiest areas for largest fruit selection.

I would agree that West and South might be better choices. Ghana and Senegal are easy to visit. Here are a few fruits you can find there: http://www.itfnet.org/v1/2011/12/african-indigenous-fruits-with-potential-health-benefits/  West African crops also greatly influenced the Caribbean through the Atlantic Slave Trade. You can find fruits like ackee and miracle fruit there, as well as jaboticaba and june plum. They also grow katemfe fruit - Thaumatococcus daniellii - there. Palm fruits are a major industry in the region so you my also have some luck trying some you've never had.

Here's a list of some of the South African crops by month: http://www.leadsa.co.za/articles/7258/seasonal-fruit-and-vegetables-in-south-africa and if you're interested it trying new-to-you varieties of more common fruits: http://veggiebunch.co.za/fruit-growing-seasons-in-south-africa/

The main problem is indeed the stigma of eating indigenous food, thanks to the scourge of colonialism. It's thus not profitable to grow or sell, so most of these amazing and life-giving crops are treated like weeds in favor of more industrialized and less nutritious plants. Finding the rare stuff involves serious hunting in remote regions, where local contacts and language/culture knowledge are going to be important, and where safety concerns can become more of an issue both because of wildlife, and because of a few uncool people who make life difficult for everyone. But the same could be said if you wanted to track down rare fruit in Alaska, or pretty much anywhere else... it's rare for a reason - because it's hard to get to and there's little money in making it easier for people. Remote areas pose the same risks all over the world for the most part. I will go into pretty remote areas, but there is a point at which I draw a line, particularly as a woman traveling. Jungle hunting is usually where that line has to be for me. But maybe as I get older that will be less the case, if people start viewing me as more of an elder, and less of a target. 

There is a rare West African fruit I really want to try, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it right now. It's a sour orange fruit that's really popular locally, and supposedly has a delicious flavor. I think it has health benefits too. But I forget where I found it, and where I wrote down the name! I do remember though that I was trying to find a source so I could grow it in my yard.

« Last Edit: April 27, 2017, 07:23:22 AM by LivingParadise »

JonathonForester

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2017, 10:18:24 AM »


First off, love your videos. My GF and I watch them regularly on Sundays

. As for legally trying coco de mer, I recall in a documentary that fruit grown on private land is not managed and is often sold to tourists  (at premium). I cant remember the video but I believe it was a BBC documentary about seeds. May have even had Attenborough.

Jared

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2017, 01:25:17 AM »
LivingParadise, Thanks for all the valuable information. I was thinking of going to Ethiopia, just since it seems like such a wonderful country. I saw photos of the monoliths there and would love to see them. I wasn't sure about the fruits available, but that market does sound awfully great. I think though like you said I should try and find some connections there.

 JonathonForester, thanks! That might be the best way for me to do it then.

stuartdaly88, Marula looks very interesting. And thanks for the ebay contact, I'll see if I can get a hold of him
- Jared
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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2017, 06:02:43 AM »
I guess monkey orange and giant mulberry are on the hit list.

HIfarm

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2017, 02:49:12 PM »
I guess monkey orange and giant mulberry are on the hit list.

I don't believe that GYM extends to east Africa, you need to go to more wet areas in central & west/central Africa to access GYM, junglesop, and other even more obscure fruits. 

Monkey orange should be widely distributed in drier areas but it would be prudent to only sample monkey orange from markets or that a local guide can assure you is a safe species.  Many of these species are safe (& are commercial crops in some areas) & in some, it is even safe to eat the seeds.  However strychnine occurs in many species of this genus so best to be sure before trying these. 

Soren

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #16 on: April 30, 2017, 12:37:28 PM »
I guess monkey orange and giant mulberry are on the hit list.

I don't believe that GYM extends to east Africa, you need to go to more wet areas in central & west/central Africa to access GYM, junglesop, and other even more obscure fruits. 

Monkey orange should be widely distributed in drier areas but it would be prudent to only sample monkey orange from markets or that a local guide can assure you is a safe species.  Many of these species are safe (& are commercial crops in some areas) & in some, it is even safe to eat the seeds.  However strychnine occurs in many species of this genus so best to be sure before trying these.


Yes I'm still alive and kicking here in Uganda. And yes, I have been mailing tonnes of GYM seeds so it does grow here.
Søren
Kampala, Uganda

Jared

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2017, 09:49:25 AM »
I guess monkey orange and giant mulberry are on the hit list.

I don't believe that GYM extends to east Africa, you need to go to more wet areas in central & west/central Africa to access GYM, junglesop, and other even more obscure fruits. 

Monkey orange should be widely distributed in drier areas but it would be prudent to only sample monkey orange from markets or that a local guide can assure you is a safe species.  Many of these species are safe (& are commercial crops in some areas) & in some, it is even safe to eat the seeds.  However strychnine occurs in many species of this genus so best to be sure before trying these.


Yes I'm still alive and kicking here in Uganda. And yes, I have been mailing tonnes of GYM seeds so it does grow here.

Hi Soren,

Any advice on any places to visit? Is GYM available at markets?
- Jared
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http://www.youtube.com/channel/UChsbD6Clp-ZPqKwXJR3V7DQ

Soren

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #18 on: May 04, 2017, 12:42:36 PM »
No, not sold at the markets and I believe its out of season
Søren
Kampala, Uganda

Jared

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #19 on: May 04, 2017, 09:17:52 PM »
Do you know when it would be in season?

No, not sold at the markets and I believe its out of season
- Jared
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http://www.youtube.com/channel/UChsbD6Clp-ZPqKwXJR3V7DQ

Soren

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2017, 03:49:44 AM »
March.
Søren
Kampala, Uganda

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #21 on: June 07, 2017, 09:49:04 PM »
If you get to Ethiopia a priority species to track down would be Cordeuxia edulis, called the yeheb nut. It's endemic to the Horn of Africa and classed as endangered. A leguminous shrub with as very deep taproot, it produces a seed that is said to rival macadamias. Very short viability, and so it has never been brought out of the region, except for an effort by Israel in the 70's I believe.

LivingParadise

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Re: Fruit Hunting in Africa - Where to go?
« Reply #22 on: June 08, 2017, 09:18:26 AM »
If you get to Ethiopia a priority species to track down would be Cordeuxia edulis, called the yeheb nut. It's endemic to the Horn of Africa and classed as endangered. A leguminous shrub with as very deep taproot, it produces a seed that is said to rival macadamias. Very short viability, and so it has never been brought out of the region, except for an effort by Israel in the 70's I believe.

Interesting - I wish I had known that when I went! I had a friend there who could've helped me find it. So many plants, so little time...