Nigeria is very much blessed with so much edible plants one of them is called pumpkin plant. In igbo tribe language which I come from, it is called "UGU".
Pumpkin plant has several applications. It can be used in cooking several dishes like;
1. Egwusi-soup.. We will talk about Egwusi soup layer.
- Achi soup
- Edikaiko soup also needs pumpkin plant... etc
"Ugu”, as the name is called by the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, are highly nutritious and very rich in potassium, calcium, iron and some folic acid and they grow seeds which are also edible.
"UGU" leaves contain an Antioxidants which help to eliminate free radicals which are responsible for cancerous growths and also it is a good source of different types of vitamins, minerals and rich in anti-oxidants, such as alpha-carotene and Beta–carotene which help to slow down ageing process, now you see why it is used in different dishes..
"UGU" leaves are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They are a good source of vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, Copper etc.
There are thousandband one health benefit accredited to "ugu" leaves so next time you want to eat any dishe I. Nigeria,africa or anywhere in the world, make sure there is "UGU" leaf in it.