Tsubvu fruits

 

During our time at Kufunda Village, we learnt so much from our neighbours and friends about the bounty that comes from the forest each season, and one of our favourites was this wild, indigenous fruit call 'Tsubvu'.

Tsubvu fruits grow on a small tree or shrub and appear in the autumn season, around May and June. The fruits are a shiny black oval shape and have a soft, black sweet fruit pulp inside, around a ridged stone. Their botanical name is vitex payos, and in English they are called the smellyberry fingerleaf fruit, which is a terrible name for this delicacy! They apparently have high levels of phytonutrients and are good for your skin. In some places they are called the chocolate berry, as the fruit texture is something quite similar to chocolate - pasty and thick :)

Our children were constantly on the hunt for these fruits once we were introduced to them, and spent many hours with their friends in the forests looking for the trees, climbing up the branches and shaking down the berries! They are loved by all, so Gabriel even collected so many on certain days that he would swop out fruits in exchange for good school lunch items, like rice and sauce or chips!

 We recorded some clips with our friends about the deliciousness of these black berry fruits. Here is Tsitsi, Stephen and Ticha describing why they love these fruits.