The closest African market is two towns away. The purveyors speak very little English, and I very little French and yet we find a way to communicate. The irony is not lost on us that we are in fact fluent in the languages of the old colonizers. Nonetheless, I am here on a quest for Kenyan Njahi beans when I happen upon a small colorful packet of dawa dawa (African locust beans). Only the week before, I learned of this plant’s existence and now found myself curious to explore it in our kitchen.
I learn as with all African botanicals that these go by different names depending on the country and region. Although it is said to grow in East Africa, I have yet to encounter it there. A lot of my research suggests Uganda as the place in which it proliferates but I’ll have to ask some friends to be sure. Dawa dawa then is a Hausa word which is a language spoken in some West African countries including Nigeria. As I open the packet, I am confronted by the smell of fermentation – not unpleasant but rather one that felt familiar even though I am unable to articulate what is actually reminds me off. Here’s the thing regarding the smell, it is most definitely an acquired taste as with most fermented foods. As I try one right out the packet, I find its flavor to be strong, (funky is the best descriptor that comes to mind) but oddly enough, it reminds me of a certain brand of instant espresso.
Here’s how dawa dawa is made: “In the production of dawa dawa the seeds are boiled up to 24 hours, pounded, cleaned, and rendered down into a black paste, which is then set aside to ferment. After two or three days the odoriferous result is pressed into cakes or balls. In the dry form these can keep for over a year in traditional earthenware pots, without refrigeration. Small amounts are crumbled into traditional soups and stews, which are usually eaten with sorghum or millet dumplings and porridges. (The dawa dawa is added during the cooking process because the powerful smell then disappears.) Because of its savory taste and high protein and energy values, it is sometimes described as a meat or cheese substitute, but it is often more like a condiment that is eaten in tiny quantities (211).” What’s more, these African locust beans contain “30 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 12 percent sugar, 15 percent starch, and 12 percent fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron (207-208).”
But what to do with it? My friend Ozoz makes this suggestion, which is where I learn that the fermented locust beans have to be given a good wash prior to use. As I taste a washed locust bean, I pick up notes of chocolate at the end. I did indeed try the butter and it was all sorts of delicious, slathered on a piece of baguette. And also, a poor attempt at an African inspired risotto where I added a bit too much of dawa dawa for my liking. Moderation really is key here.
I mean most things taste great candied and so, I wondered why not candy some locust beans. The finished product was almost praline like with a pronounced malty flavor and with the effects of fermentation slightly worn off. I try it first in a Dalgona coffee and the variance in both textures and flavors was so superb, that I was inspired to create an ice cream. I end up with an espresso and Tongan vanilla ice cream base, topped with the candied locust beans that sat on browned meringue. All this to play into the malty, coffee and chocolate notes that I was getting from the dawa dawa. I can’t say that this will be true for everyone!
*also let me just say that this is a modern approach to dawa dawa, which is traditionally used in savory applications as I have learned. I hope it doesn’t upset people that love this ingredient so!
Citation
National Research Council, Policy and Global Affairs, Development, Security, and Cooperation, and National Academy of Sciences. 2006. Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.