Zimbabwe has an abundance of wild fruits, many of which are rich in Vitamins A and C and other essential minerals.  Because they grow wild, they have not been sprayed with dangerous chemicals. 

The fruits that we use are either indigenous or have been cultivated for so long that they are now naturalised.  These fruits are extremely important to rural communities because of their nutritional values, income generating potential and traditional medicinal uses. 

Harvesting Seasons

Masau

June - September

Marula

February - May

Mazhanje

November - December

Tulimara buys the fruits directly from SAFIRE organised producer groups around Zimbabwe. Harvesting and grading of the fruits provides over 50 rural producers with an important alternative source of income and encourages them to protect their natural resources because they are receiving benefits from them.

The masau and marula fruits are also a favourite of wild animals.  Elephant are particularly fond of the fruit and leaves of the masau and they spend significant time in the masau groves during the fruiting season.  Antelopes and elephants eat the ripe marula fruits fallen and fermenting on the ground, and are said to become drunk on them.

 

TRADITIONAL USES

Colds and flu (fruit) : Malnutrition related diseases in children (fruit) : Convulsions in children (roots) : Indigestion (roots)


Ziziphus mauritiana, commonly known as masau in Zimbabwe, originates from India, and came to Africa via Arab traders plying the costal routes of neighbouring Mozambique centuries ago.

The fruits are 1 - 3 cm in diameter and are yellowish to deep mahogany brown in colour when ripe.

Whilst the masau is eaten fresh, it can also be dried for use throughout the year or made into bread.  The fruit is also used as the base for distilling a local alcoholic beverage - kachasu. 

Ziziphus mauritiana is high in Vitamin C and betacarotene.

 

TRADITIONAL USES

Mood enhancer (juice) : Relieves stomach ailments (juice) : Germicide and insecticide (juice) : Diarrhoea and dysentery (bark) : Malaria prophylactic (bark) :
Insect bites and burns of hairy caterpillars (inner bark) : Burns and abscesses (leaves)


Sclerocarya birrea, commonly known as marula, grows widely in southern and eastern Africa.  The fruits are 3-3.5 cm in diameter with a white clinging flesh and a large stone.  Mature fruit drops when still green and ripens to a yellow colour on the ground.  Harvesting is done by picking up the fallen fruit.

Of all the nutrients in the marula, the vitamin C content has attracted the most attention.  The fruit is rich in Vitamin C, containing more Vitamin C than oranges. As much as 200mg vitamin C per 100g has been recorded in the marula pulp which is approximately four times that of oranges and comparable to the amount present in guavas and blackcurrents.

The fruit is eaten fresh, just like a mango, and is also used to prepare juices, jams, preserves, dry fruit rolls, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Claims are made that the fruit may be used as an insecticide as well as a germicide and that the juice can be used as a mood enhancer and to relieve stomach ailments.

 

TRADITIONAL USES

Indigestion (root)


Uapaca kirkiana, commonly known as Mazhanje, Mahobohobo or Wild Loquat grows throughout Zimbabwe at medium altitudes in good rainfall areas free of frost.  The fruit is a fleshy round berry, up to 4cm across with a tough reddish brown skin surrounding juicy yellow-brown pulp, in which several hard white ridged seeds are embedded.  The skin contains bitter tasting tannins which necessitates time-consuming and expensive hand pulp extraction.

The fruits are amongst the most popular in Zimbabwe - women and children go out with large baskets for the harvesting and sell them on the side of main roads.  The fruits are collected into prepared holes and covered with leaves to hide the spot, but are inspected daily and turned when necessary, until they are ready to be eaten.

The pulp is honey sweet with a slight flavour of oranges.  It is eaten fresh with the tough skin and seed being discarded.  A fried or baked cake is sometimes made from the pulp, with fine mazie meal and an egg added.  The ripe fruit pulp, broken up and stood in water, is sometimes left to ferment, making a sweet wine.

Thomas Baines, the artist explorer, tells that the name 'Mahobohobo' is expressive of the noise made by trampling the fallen leaves.  They lose their glossy green and dry within an hour and experienced hunters can tell the age of the elephant tracks and those of other game by the condition of the fallen leaves.