Traditional processing of cassava in Congo

Image sequence of cassava’s long way from root to market and shows the processing of cassava in its various steps

Cassava growing in the village of Kilueka
Peeling harvested cassava
Haumania liebrechtsiana (Nzomfi) is being grown around homes for packing chikwangue. Photo taken at Kilueka. Augustin Konda ku Mbuta on left.
The leaves of Lasimorpha senegalensis (Kilodi) are also used. The plant grows in damp place
Retting of the tubers
Cleaning the tubers after retting
The cleaned tubers ready to be dried in the sun
Dried tubers being carried to the market at Lemfu
Sieving and draining the cassava flour softened by retting.
After pounding, the flour is packed for the first (partial) cooking
First partial cooking
Packets after the first cooking in preparing chikwangue
Chikwangue after the first cooking
Shaping chikwangue after preliminary cooking
Packing chikwangue in the leaves of Haumania liebrechtsiana (Nzomfi) which are then tied with fibres from oil palm leaf stems.
Packing chiwangues with the leaves of Lasimorpha senegalensis (Kilodi)
Chikwangues cooked and ready to eat
Extraction of fibre from the leaf stalks of oil palm for tying chikwangue
Cassava flour after being cleaned, crushed, pressed, and drained ready for sale in Kinshasa market
Cassava flour for the preparation of chikwangue being sold in town

Source

This article is an excerpt of Paul Latham’s and Augustin Konda ku Mbuta’s books ‘Useful plants of Kongo Central Province’, Vol 1 and Vol 2, which can be downloaded in English here or French there. All photos in this article © Paul Latham and Augustin Konda ku Mbuta

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