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Other from Yewa, Ogun State, Nigeria

Oso (fermented Cathormion altissimum seed, Nigeria)oso

Oso is made in Nigeria and Ghana by fermenting the seeds of the swamp-forest tree Osodendron (formerly Cathormion) altissimum and grinding them into a protein-rich paste. The paste is cooked and eaten as a main food, a delicacy or a seasoning for soups and stews. It is fatty and spoils fast, keeping no more than about a week after fermentation.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Oso itself.

Short entryOther

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedTraditional practice; no amounts or process times were found.
Seeds of Osodendron altissimumFermented, then ground into a paste[koenen2022]
Start
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shapes, not to countBacillusLeuconostocSugarsLactic acidCO₂

What changes: The seeds are left to ferment

Step 1 of 3
Ferment the seeds
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Bacillus
Leuconostoc
Bacillus subtilis
L. mesenteroides

Output: fermented seeds.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Bacillus and Leuconostoc

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Oso is made in Nigeria and Ghana by fermenting the seeds of the swamp-forest tree Osodendron (formerly Cathormion) altissimum and grinding them into a protein-rich paste. The paste is cooked and eaten as a main food, a delicacy or a seasoning for soups and stews. It is fatty and spoils fast, keeping no more than about a week after fermentation. Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Temperature28–32 °CReported[jolaoso2012]Keep and use quickly

What makes this one different

Unlike Parkia or Prosopis seasonings, oso comes from a swamp-forest tree, and it spoils fast because of its fat.

Related ferments

Safety

Staphylococcus aureus was among the bacteria isolated from fermented oso. The product cannot be kept longer than one week after fermentation because it deteriorates fast.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus, among the bacteria isolated from fermented oso.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [jolaoso2012] Jolaoso A.A., Ajayi J.O., Ogunmuyiwa S.I.O., Albert O.M. 2012, Changes in functional properties as a measure of biochemical deterioration of oso (fermented seeds of Cathormion altissimum), Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences 3(4):608–613paper
  2. [koenen2022] Koenen E.J.M. 2022, Osodendron gen. nov. (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae), a new genus of mimosoid legumes of tropical Africa, PhytoKeys 205:453–470 (etymology)paper
  3. [popoola2004] Popoola T.O.S., Jolaoso A.A., Afolabi R.O. 2004, Microbiology of the production of Oso, a condiment made by fermenting seeds of Cathormion altissimum, Tropical Science 44:187–189 (cited; not read)paper