Di benefits of cocoyam for body

Well, na Asia dey grown am bifor Africans come begin dey grow cocoyam, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, di Central African Republic and oda parts of di world don dey grow cocoyam. E get plenti virtues.

Colocasia esculenta na di botanical name of dis tuber crop, wey dem dey cultivate for Africa.

Egypt dey call am "Kudubbadé" or "diabéré" in Moré and Bambara. Togo, Mina language dey call am "makani."

Cocoyam dey popular for Asia and oda kontris of di world. For Africa, e dey rich in virtues, and dem don find am for family food.

"If you chop cocoyam wit stew wey dem cook wit im leaf and palm, na so we dey like to dey enjoy am for Ghana,” Adjoa tok, one restaurant owner for Tema, wia pipo dey chop cocoyam wella.

How you fit know cocoyam?

Di tuber dey get round or long shape, di leaf na medium size and na colour green, hairless, cut and shiny leaf wey be 50 to 60 cm long.

Cocoyam wey get plant and roots. Di root dem dey harvest between 8 to 9 months afta planting. E resemble sweet potato, but di colour dey different becos e get dark brown colour, e thin and dey similar to cassava.

Di body na colour white and e dey creamy, wit sweet taste.

"I dey chop cocoyam wey dem boil wit notin wey dem add. E dey quick full belle quick fills", Adjoa tok, dey cook foutou form cocoyam serve give pipo for im restaurant.

How you fit select betta cocoyam for market

Cocoyam dey similar to yam, cassava or any oda tuber. Wen you wan buy cocoyam for market, you go need to choose betta one wit care.

Nutritionists recommend say make e dey firm, heavy and intact, wit no mould or hole.

E no dey too stay for ground as e dey quick soft. But you fit store am for dry place, away from heat and sunlight.

"You fit put am inside freezer, peel, cut am into pieces and put inside bag, if you wan keep am long time", Eloïse Gbati tok, one nutritionist wey dey live for Lomé.

You fit keep cocoyam leaf between one to three days for vegetable storage inside fridge, according to di nutritionist.

Di nutritional value of cocoyam

Cocoyam dey rich in fibre, vitamin C, B1 and B2. E also get phosphorus, calcium and iron. E also contains good quantity of protein.

Dis elements dey make cocoyam anti-anaemic, anti-hunger and anti-oxidant food, according to di nutritionist.

"Di high fibre wey dey inside mean say you belle for long time", she tok. Di proteins, wey dey take long to settle, dey help stop cravings. Na slimming food wey dey help reduce di risk of diabetes.

E dey rich in carbohydrates and starch as e dey give energy. Elements wey dey give am im role to dey fight fatigue, according to di nutritionist. Na beta food for athletes, becos e dey help maintain energy for long time wit low glycemic index.

Dis make am perfect element for cardiovascular health wey dey help regulate di heart and di proper functioning of di circulatory system. E dey easier to digest dan potatoes.

Im leaf also dey rich in benefits. According to nutritionists, di leaf na are a source of polyphenols and vitamin C, two antioxidant substances wey dey help reduce free radicals and prevent di aging process and di risk of heart disease.

How you fit cook Cocoyam

You fit use cocoyam cook different food but e dey starchy wit sweet flavour, e dey important to wash im body wit running water, sometimes you fit use kitchen brush to commot dirty. Den peel am bifor you begin cut am into pieces for cooking.

Cocayam get im root for many culture food, you fit boil, roast, fry, mash, stew, and put inside soup.

For West Africa, particularly Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, dem dey cook cocoyam as foutou (wey dey resemble mash potatoes), dem dey add oda tubers like yam or cassava.

Dem dey combine am wit plantain to dey make foutou, wit soup. Na so Côte d'Ivoire pipo dey cook am, according to Kass, one student wey dey live for Dakar.

ForTogo, dem dey use cocoyam leaf cook betta soup wey dem dey call amagnagna, especially for southern part of di kontri. We dey chop dis soup wit white rice as we take love am for our family,” Hélène Sowou tell BBC Africa. She also add say im grandparents na Ghanaians and cocoyam dey popular for Ghana.

For oda part of di world, dem dey prepare cocoyam as drink and nutrient-rich ice cream.

Dey watch

Nutritionists dey advise say you fit cook cocoyam chop. According to dem, wen you cook am e dey help neutralise di actions of calcium oxalate crystals wey dey make am bitter, irritating and dangerous for pesin health.

According to di United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), di total quantity of cocoyam wey Africa produce for1998 dey around 6.5 million tonnes, wey be 75% of di 8.5 million tonnes estimate wey dem dey produce worldwide.

Nigeria na di world's largest producer wit 4 million tonnes, wey be 44% of world production. Ghana dey produce 1.5 million tonnes per year, Ivory Coast dey produce 350,000 tonnes, Madagascar dey produce 150,000 tonnes and di Central African Republic dey produce 100,000 tonnes.

Egypt, wey first grow cocoyam for Africa, dey produce140,000 tonnes per year.