Cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata or Vigna sinensis nunguiculata) is a popular leguminous crop
in Africa which is known as “black-eyed peas” in America. In Nigeria, it is
known as ‘beans’. Kano State is one of the largest cowpea producing areas in
Nigeria, cultivating about 4,050 ha which yields above 1,000 kg/ha compared
with the national average of 212 kg/ha. Common varieties include SAMPEA 10,
SAMPEA 8, and Oloka. Cowpea is one of the most highly proteineous African cropthat feeds people, their livestock and the next crop. The nutritional value of
cowpea is in the composition of its grain. Cowpea grains are rich in amino
acids, lysine and tryptophan making it better than cereal and root and tuber
based diets of many coastal and forest communities. In Nigeria and some other
West African countries, cowpea grains are eaten in various forms; as porridge
along with fried or boiled yam or plantain, as bean cake called akara or kosei among
Yoruba and Hausa respectively, as moin-moin which is steamed – cook of wet –
milled cowpea mixed with cooking ingredients, and cowpea stew called gbegiri in
Yoruba language.
De-hulling can be defined as
the removal of seed coat (hull) from the seed, resulting in the separation ofthe cotyledons from the hulls. In the rural sector, the wet method of
de-hulling process is still part of the house wife’s manual work in food
preparation. Water soaking is used to facilitate hull removal.
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