Ancestral Food Systems: Bubwoba, the Termite Mushrooms

 

As the first long rains fell across the land and the people readied for khuraka ...
As the fullness of life sprouted from the ground, it was time to forage for bubwoba.
Cooked mushrooms made good delicacies, feeding everyone to their fill.

 

Science says that mushrooms belong to the fungi family; actually, more closely related to animals than plants. As the oldest complex lifeform, mushrooms first appeared before any animals, land plants, fish, insects, and even dinosaurs.

Edible mushrooms in tropical Africa  are nutrition-dense; loaded with proteins, vitamin varieties, and minerals (like potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc).

Nutrition research has shown that edible mushrooms boost immunity, repair muscles, improve blood pressure regulation and boost brain health.

In ancient African societies, people dined on mushrooms to get energy for work, healing (fevers and body weakness), broth given to mothers after childbirth for recovery and were even applied  on wounds to stop bleeding.

 

Our ancestors had remarkable knowledge of bush foods, including mushrooms. Handed-down traditional knowledge also held that  forests are always alive and one could even hear it. Trees, bushes, soil, water and rocks- are all alive, supporting life.

Only recently, scientists have found out that trees communicate with each other via complex underground root networks aided by fungi. Mushrooms act as important network hubs, sending chemical signals to support life, communicate distress and provide balance.

Without a doubt, Bubwoba is a very important life source and part of the sacredness of nature.

Among Babukusu people, there are many varieties of Bubwoba;

1.     Bukusuma (Termitomyces)

2.     Bukochwe

3.     Busiina

4.     Bukonakhisi (Titanicus; large enough to hide deer)

5.     Bumekele (beech, harvested in clusters)

6.     Burunda

7.     Bubwoba nabichikhi (golden oyster mushrooms)

8.     Kuraba kwa ng’oli (Puffball mushrooms, releases smoke on maturity)

 

Other varieties include;

·       Buchalamachi

·       Busumwa

·       Butawa

·       Bureesi

·       Buliaswa

·       Buturwe

·       Bukhupa mulusi

·       Busisi

·       Buniekhele

·       Bukhula mwasi

·       Bulondang’ombe

·       Buliaswa

·       Bumatala/ bubwoba namatala

Importantly, bubwoba bwamanana khu mabuyani- from ‘termite soil’ from termite mounds. Those are the seeds that give rise to bubwoba. That’s why some names of edible mushrooms resemble termite names; Burunda, Buliaswa, Buresi ne Busisi etc.

 

Ancestral knowledge provided a clear distinction between edible mushrooms (like bukochwe, buchamalachi, burunda ne bumekele) and inedible varieties like nabichikhi that sprout from rooting wood. Before scientists identified that some mushrooms contain life-threatening toxins, our old way of life already knew this reality. Bubwoba bukhalikha ta bulimo buchiba- buborora enda, khukhilwa khuela, khubona binaninga namwe khukwa chiteleng’i.

It is strongly advised not to  try a new mushroom variety without consulting if it is edible.
Moreover , in olden days, bubwoba bwabukhanga on their own but now some species can be grown in laboratory for consumption. However, wild-sprouting mushrooms are tastier and more nutritious than lab-grown varieties.

Lastly, continued use of pesticides on the farms is contributing to the gradual extension of bubwoba, just like termites. In spayed areas, bubwoba can also retain pesticide residue that may cause harm such as gut problems, over the long-term.

Next time, consider bubwoba as part of your meal.

 

A story is good, until another is told…