What is White Melon Seed and Why Do We Use Them?

This seed -- nutty, protein-rich, and not always well known -- is so important in West African cuisine that we named our company after it! Also known as melon seeds, it’s versatile and can be a snack, used as a flavoring agent, or pressed for its oil.

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What Are Egusi Seeds?

Egusi seeds come from the Egusi gourd, which looks very similar to a watermelon. Unlike a watermelon, however, the fruit from the Egusi gourd is bitter and not edible, so these gourds are grown primarily for their seeds. These seeds are similar in size to small pumpkin seeds and a bit creamier in flavor. 

They make up a really important component of many West African staples, including Egusi soup, which is a West African classic. It’s widely enjoyed in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon. Even though many of these countries and regions have their own little variations for how they prepare Egusi soup, the importance of the Egusi seeds remains the same.

Why Do We Love Egusi Seeds?

Like a lot of other nuts and seeds, Egusi seeds are very high in oil. They’re 50% oil, 78% of which is unsaturated fatty acids, which are the healthier type of fat! The oil produced from these seeds is rich and flavorful. They’re also 35% protein. 

Egusi seeds are rich in vitamin A, which is crucial for forming and maintaining healthy bones. In addition, Egusi seeds are high in vitamins B1 and B2, which are both important for growth and the production of red blood cells. There’s a high concentration of vitamin C, too, which helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue. Finally, Egusi seeds are also high in Niacin, which helps maintain healthy skin.

Because of their high protein content, they can also serve as a good plant-based meat substitute.

How Do You Use Egusi Seeds?

Aside from being pressed for their oil, or acting as a stand-in for meat in plant-based dishes, Egusi seeds can be soaked, fermented, and sauteed. They can then be used to thicken soups, or even season food. They’re an integral part of Egusi Soup -- a dish we’ve made our own version of -- which is very popular in West Africa.

Soups are a crucial part of the cuisine in West Africa, and Egusi soup is a really special one. The seeds themselves are used as a fundamental soup ingredient to thicken it and boost the flavor. Before making the soup, the seeds are sun-dried, shelled, and then they’re ground down. Both raw and roasted Egusi seeds can be ground.

Try Egusi Soup For Yourself

Egusi is used primarily in West Africa for its de-hulled seeds, which thicken soups as a flour, are a great snack whole, make a paste like peanut butter, and have a high oil content. Egusi is the name for many species of cucurbits (melons, watermelons, and gourds) whose seeds are used for this purpose.

Similar to Callaloo, egusi is a category of crops based on their similar function. See the Lost Crops of Africa volume II for a short list of species and lots of great info about this important seed crop. They mention that egusi is mostly grown by women, and that improvements in the promotion and sales of this seed will bring up the "egusi wage," which is defended by women farmers of all ages as their standard of living depends on it.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website White Melon Seed.

Egusi soup is central to many West African cuisines, and is also an offering to several Orisas (including Obatala) in Ifá religion in Nigeria and beyond. Also in Nigeria, the bitter flesh of the fruits are sometimes included in a decoction (or àgbo, in Yoruba) for various ailments or for general wellness.

We are very grateful to have sourced our seed from Serendipity Seeds, who called this variety Egusi-itoo (Cucumeropsis mannii), though we believe this may actually be another Egusi species: Brown-Seeded Melon from Nigeria (Citrullus lanatus). The seeds are fat, white, and beautiful, and according to Truelove Seeds apprentice Amirah, who requested we grow this crop, the flesh is the essence of bitterness. We are so grateful that it seemed happy in our hoop house, and excited to deepen our relationship to its seeds and its story.

Known as: Egusi, Agushi, Egusi Bara, Gusi Abara, Bitter Melon

Thank you to Yemi Amu of Oko Farms for sharing some of this information with us!

Days to maturity: 120-160

Seeds per pack: 15-18

Germination rate: 79% on 01/20/

Planting / harvesting notes

Direct sow in warm soil after the last frost, or seed indoors 2-3 weeks beforehand and transplant. Space 18" apart in the row. Harvest fruits before first frost, or when the attached stem withers and turns brown. Use a sledgehammer or a rock to break open fruits on a tarp. Using a knife (as shown in our photos) slices many of the seeds.

Seed keeping notes

Squash are insect pollinated and require about 1/2 a mile of isolation from other varieties of the same species, which we believe in this case to be the same as Watermelon - Citrullus lanatus.The seeds will be fully mature when the fruit gets large and the stem withers. Separate the seeds from the flesh, rinse them, and dry them on a screen or paper product away from direct sunlight in a ventilated place. The plumpest and hardest seeds will be most viable.

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Collections

This product is part of the African Diaspora Collection.