WITH the present economic condition, Egusi is a scarce commodity, as the price of the main ingredient has soared beyond the reach of the average family.
In an article by Vanguard, it was discovered that most women now purchase small quantities of the Egusi seed and soybeans, and blend them with other ingredients, to prepare Egusi soup.
Mrs Salami Kehinde, a teacher, in recounting her market experience, said, “I went to the market recently and was told that a Derica of hand-peeled Egusi is 1,700, which was previously sold at N500. Meanwhile, I budgeted N500. I walked all around the market to get a place where I can get an engine peel, at least, for N1,200, all to no avail.
“Then I remembered that soybeans can be added to Egusi to make soup. It thickens the soup and also makes it plenty. You won’t even notice it when the soybeans are in less quantity; compared to the amount of Egusi being mixed.
“I then bought two cups of soybeans, which cost N500, and added two cups of Egusi and made my soup. The price of everything has gone up."
Mr Kelechukwu Onuoha, a foodstuff seller at Igando market, in the Igando-Ikotun LCDA of Alimosho LGA, also said that most of the ground Egusi in the market are mixed with soybeans to increase the quantity and also enable the seller to make more profits.
“Many people now mix Egusi and soybeans. This is because Egusi is now expensive and because we are not in its season and its demand is now high. It’s also because of the scarcity of tomatoes in the market, which has resulted in sellers reducing the quantity and increasing its price.
“Many of those traders selling ground Egusi out there now mix it with soybeans to make more profits because if they sell ordinary Egusi, they won’t even see their profit and customers will complain that the quantity is small if they decide to reduce it," he said.
Egusi seeds are rich in vitamin A, which is crucial for forming and maintaining healthy bones. In addition, they are high in vitamin B1.
