Madd

Ingredients

Fruit

• 12madd fruits, Saba senegalensis, ripe

To eat fresh

• salt
• chilli powder
• sugar, if wanted

For juice

• the pulp of 12 madd
• 1.5 litreswater
• 150 gsugar, to taste
• 1 tsporange blossom water, if wanted
• ice

Note

• the shell is hard and must be cracked, and the seeds are not eaten

Directions

1. Shake it: a ripe one sounds slightly loose inside. Discard any that are cracked or leaking. Crack the shell by pressing it firmly between your palms. It should split along a natural seam.
2. Pull the two halves of the shell apart. Tip the seeds out into a bowl or straight into your hand. Sprinkle salt and chilli powder over them. The seeds are not eaten and should be spat out.
3. Crack open all the fruit and put the seeds in a large bowl. Pour over about half the water. Rub the seeds between your hands in the water. Keep working them until the pulp comes away. This takes several minutes of steady rubbing.
4. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug. Press the pulp through with the back of a spoon. Discard the bare seeds and any fibre left in the sieve.
5. Add the remaining water to the strained juice. Now sweetening it, which needs a lot of sugar. Stir in the sugar and taste it as you go. The fruit is extremely sour and will need more sugar than you expect.
6. Keep adding until it is drinkable but still clearly tart. Do not sweeten it to the point where the sourness disappears.
7. Add the orange blossom water if you want it, which is common. Chill it thoroughly for at least two hours. Stir it before pouring, since the pulp settles. Serve it very cold over plenty of ice. It keeps for two days in the fridge.

Technique

• Madd is exceptionally sour and needs far more sugar than you expect for juice.
• The seeds are not eaten and are spat out after the pulp is sucked off.
• A green fruit is unpleasantly astringent; the shell should be yellow to orange.

Substitutions

• Frozen madd pulp, sold in African shops, in place of fresh fruit.
• Baobab fruit for a different but similarly tart drink.

Variations

• Eaten fresh with salt and chilli.
• Blended into a sweetened juice.
• Made into a sorbet, which is popular in Dakar.

History

Saba senegalensis vines grow wild in Casamance forests; the fruit has been registered as a Casamance geographical indication to protect its origin.

Frequently asked questions

What is Madd?

Madd is a snack from Senegal: tart wild saba fruit eaten with salt and chili or blended into juice. Saba senegalensis vines grow wild in Casamance forests; the fruit has been registered as a Casamance geographical indication to protect its origin.

How long does Madd take to make?

Madd takes 20 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Madd?

Yes, within limits. Frozen madd pulp, sold in African shops, in place of fresh fruit. Baobab fruit for a different but similarly tart drink.

What is the most important thing to get right in Madd?

Keep adding until it is drinkable but still clearly tart. Do not sweeten it to the point where the sourness disappears.