ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: Indegenous Varieties of Common Food Crops.

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Abanyala ba Kakamega have names for various varieties of comon food crops they greatly use. The following are some of the varieties of the food crops.

1. VARIETIES OF MAIZE
There are different types of maize categorized based on the colour and number of lines on the maize cob. the following are the main types.
  1. Amatumwa- general name for maize.
  2. Emoti- maize variety that is purple-black. 
  3. Emwo- this was maize that was hybrid seed. The word emwo related closely to the term GMO.
  4. Enyiru (Namba nane)- this has big seeds and eight lines on the maize cob. 
  5. Nakhalooli- a variety of maize that has a mix of many colours. 
  6. Nasimia- this is white maize that has many lines on the cob.
  7. Opapari- it is maize variety that has mix of two colours. 
  8. Sipindi- this is the yellow maize variety. 
  9. Tulatula- this is the pop corn maize. 


2. VARIETIES OF MUSHROOM
  1. Owoba- general name for mushroom.
  2. Emitwere- some variety of eatible mushroom that grew on trees. It was only eatible at time of scarcity.
  3. Kaulamunyu- mushroom with redish soup that grows at salt lick places.
  4. Khasokhere- small edible mushrooms that grow in colony assiociated with white ants such as embuni, endawa, owulingiri and embikhwa 
    Khasokhere

  5. Namachwi- Oyster mushrooms that are dog eared which grow on tree stumps. Only eatible at time of scarcity. 
    Namachwi

  6. Owuchalamachi- variety to mushroom that griw in cluster during rainy season in plain land. Associated with white ants that swam during the day called esisi. 
    Owuchalamachi

  7. Owuchofuma- dark grey mushroom with protrusion at top. 
    Owuchofuma

  8. Owuchunda- Mushroom that grows on an anthill of whiteants that swam in the evening called enchunda.
  9. Owukochwe- big sized mushroom that grows on the an anthill of white ants that swan at night called amasechere. 
    Owukochwe

  10. Owukonakhisi- the biggest type of mushroom of the Termitomyces titanicus species which could house a dik dak. They grow on an anthill of white ants that swam at nigt but bigger than owukochwe and thick root. 
    owukonakhisi

  11. Owusiina- This is the white mushroom with white lower side that grows in cattle compost. Also called Nasina. Owusina comes with white heads, white bottoms and white stocks. The underside is white. 

3. VARIETIES OF SORGHUM
  1. Amabere- this is the general term for soghum 
  2. Namukuku- they open up like star grass.
  3. Nabakhaana- for the shorter varieties
  4. Nafumo-
  5. Nakhatamba
  6. Nakhuumba
  7. Naliisi
4. VARIETIES OF MILLET
Classiffied basing on the shape if the fruit on the stem and the colour. 
  1. Owule- this is the general term for millet.
  2. Owule naabaye- it has finger-like ends that upened up upon maturity 
  3. Owule namaala- it has finger-like ends that bend into fist like structure.
  4. Owule Owulafu- this ranged between yellow and brown.
  5. Owule Owung'enda- usually brown or red coloured
  6. Owule Owopole- grey or black coloured. This was the most common type.

5. VARIETIES OF POTATOES
  1. Amachuku- air potato.
  2. Eseebe- 
  3. Ngwachi
  4. Marawoko
  5. Mulambo
  6. Naliisi
  7. Njiake
  8. Mulambo- has pink covers and white flesh.
  9. Mweyu
  10. Nanduma- has purple flesh. 
  11. Sichunju- has narrow leaves
6. VARIETIE OF BANANAS
  1. Amakhaamba- seeded banana. 
  2. Amalimi
  3. Amanyala
  4. Banaania
  5. Bokoboko
  6. Namala
  7. Namukhira kwa'ngwe
  8. Nasichembe
  9. Switi
7. VARIETIES OF CASSAVA
  1. Luteru-tu
  2. Makana 
  3. Nakomola 
  4. Serere
  5. Sifurosa
8. VARIETIES OF BEANS
  1. Amakanda- a general name for beans. 
  2. Ebing'oling'oli
  3. Lipala- Rosecoco varieties 
  4. Nakhatabo
  5. Nakholo
  6. Nang'oli
  7. Namaito
  8. Nasikokhe
  9. Sapela
9. 

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