Inventory of mushrooms eaten by the inhabitants of Brazzaville and data regarding their food value

The general aim of this study is to make the inventory of mushrooms eaten by inhabitants of Brazzaville, as well as to gather data regarding their food value. For this purpose two lateral inquiries were carried out, using pre-established questionnaires and field missions. The first inquiry focused on mushrooms sold by 50 saleswomen at five markets of Brazzaville and at the toll (‘Péage’) at Kintélé. The second inquiry focused on mushrooms consumed by 3000 families of Brazzaville and Kintélé. For ecological studies several field missions were carried out in the production zones of Mati and Kitengué. Data were statistically treated whenever necessary. The results show that 11 mushroom species, predominantly of the genus Termitomyces, are consumed. The latter generate a substantial income during the collecting period, thus contributing to poverty alleviation. The rate of consumption is of 79.3 %, generally with a very variable frequency of consumption however, three ethnic groups, namely the Kongo (35.1 %), The Mbosi (20.7 %) and the Téké (11.2 %), are very fond of mushrooms and consider them substitutes for meat and fish. The nutritional property of mushrooms places them among foodstuffs of high nutritional value, i.e. good suppliers of micronutrients or substitutes for classic protein-rich food. These wild edible mushrooms represent food security for families and their consumption helps to overcome eventual nutritional deficiencies.

Publication year:2021

Accessibility:Open