Mapopwe Ncisyango Cigambya

KWAMYAKA minji ba Harlin bakali kulima mapopwe kucilawo ca Finger Lakes mucisi ca United States. Lyoonse cakali kubakonda kupanduluda beenzinyina abeenzu bakali kubaswaya kujatikizya mbwaalibedelede mapopwe. Balembi ba Sinsimuka! bakalomba ba Harlin kwaamba twaambo tumwi ntobazyi kujatikizya mapopwe itukonzya kubagwasya basikubala. Kunze lyaboobo, tulalanga-langa zyintu azimwi zigambya kujatikizya mapopwe. Mucikozyanyo, ino mapopwe akazwa kuli? Ino akamwaika buti nyika yoonse? Alimwi ino mapopwe abelesyegwa buti? Lino atulange-lange ncobakaamba ba Harlin kujatikizya mapopwe.

Cisyango Cilakonzya Kumutondezya Ncociyanda

“Mapopwe ncisyango cimwi cigambya akaambo kambocibambidwe ambocikomena. Mucikozyanyo, matewu anseke zyamapopwe zikkede kabotu cakuti zilakondelezya kulanga. Kunze lyaboobo, nociya bukomena cisyango eeci, cilakonzya kumutondezya ncociyanda. Kwiinda mukulanga mbwaaboneka mapopwe, tulakonzya kuzyiba naa ayanda meenda naa mbolezi. Toonse tulizyi kuti mwana ulalila ikuti naa kuli ncayanda. Mbubwenya mbozicita zisyango  zimbi, kwiinda mukulanga mubala ambwaaboneka matewu, tulakonzya kuzyiba ciyandika. Mbubwenya mbotuzyiba ncayanda mwana, cipati nkuzyiba ciyandika aciindi eeco.

“Ikuti kakunyina musamu uutegwa phosphate, matewu alakonzya kutalika kusalala. Zitondezyo zimwi zilakonzya kutondezya kuti kuyandika musamu wa magnesium, nitrogen naa potash. Kunze lyaboobo, kwiinda mukulangisya imulimi ulakonzya kuzyiba naa mapopwe aakwe alaabulwazi naa imusamu wakavwula.

“Mbubwenya mbobacita balimi bamapopwe boonse, ndakali kusyanga mainza akaambo kakuti ciindi eeci bulongo inga bulakasaala icipa kuti mapopwe amene kabotu. Kuzwa kumyezi yone kusikila kucisambomwi mapopwe aangu akali kujinka alimwi akali kulampa mamita obilo.

“Kwiinda mukubala matewu, tulakonzya kuzyiba mpolyasika kukomena popwe. Cicitika ncakuti nolijisi matewu osanwe, lilatalika kubelesya mbolezi. Aciindi eeci, miyanda ilatalika kubona bunji bwambolezi iili mubulongo. Eeci cipa kuti imapopwe aabbala abe mapati naa masyoonto, kweelana amweelwe wamizila yanseke. Mpoonya, ikuti popwe lyaba amatewu aali 12 kusikila ku 17 lilatalika alimwi kubona mbolezi iili mubulongo akubona ibunji bwanseke ziyakuba kucinkoti. Mubufwaafwi, popwe lilabalila mbolikonzya kuba anseke zinji. Kunze lyaboobo, kaambo kamwi kagambya kajatikizya mapopwe mbwaazyala.”

Ngala, Tulengeenga Kungala Aboya

“Popwe alimwi lilalizyazya. Cibeela cizyazya mapopwe, ningala. Ngala aimwi ilaakuba atuntu telengeenga twiinda ku 6,000 itujisi cibeela cizyazya mapopwe. Mutuntu ootu tulengeenga momuzwa bungu bunji kapati. Oobu bungu bulapepelulwa amuwo mpoonya ikuti bwanjila mukakwapa bulapa kuti katalike kuba anseke. Eeci cicitikila mumakweelele aapopwe.

“Ino bungu bucikonzya buti kwiinda mumakweelele aakakwapa akupa kuti katalike kuba anseke? Bulanjila kwiinda muboya bwapopwe. Popwe alimwi lilaakuba aboya bunji. Ikuti mwabutobelezya boya oobu, bulakonzya kumusisya kuminyonje. Nseke aimwi ilijisi boya bomwe. Mukuya kwaciindi inseke aimwi iyakusima akuba mpopwe.

“Iboya mbotubona ciindi mapopwe naafwususa bulijisi toya tuniini-niini (stigma). Nokuli muwo bungu bulanamatila kutoya ootu. Ikuti bwalokela aboya bulanjila mukati akuya kupa kuti nseke zisime.

“Eelyo notujana kuti popwe lyaba amenyo aabacembele, citondezya kuti boya bumwi tiibwakalokelwa bungu ambweni akaambo kakuti mapopwe tanaakafwususa muciindi ceelede. Zimwi ziindi icikonzya kupa boobo nkuceya kwamaanzi. Aboobo, ikuti mulimi wazibona zitondezyo eezyi, ulakonzya kujana nzila yakumana penzi eeli akubona mbwakonzya kuba abutebuzi bubotu—imwaka uuno naa uuboola. Kutegwa ndibe abutebuzi bubotu, ndakali kucita kuti umwi mwaka ndalima mapopwe mpoonya mwaka uutobela ndalima nyabo (Soya beans). Nyabo ncisyango cipa kuti bulongo bube ambolezi (nitrogen) alimwi taciligwi azyuuka zilya mapopwe.

“Lyoonse cilaakundikonda ikubona muunda uuzwide mapopwe aasiya mbi alimwi ndilaakulangila kuti ndiya kutebula kabotu. Ncondabona ncakuti mapopwe—mbubwenya mbuli zisyango zimwi—ncisyango cigambya. Masimpe, zinji nzyotukonzya kwiiya kumapopwe kunze lyazeezyi nzyondaamba.”

 Sena nzyobaamba ba Harlin zyamupa kuba aluyandisisyo lwakuyanda kuzyiba zimbi kujatikizya cisyango eeci cilibedelede? Mucikozyanyo, amulange-lange nkwaakazwa mapopwe ambwaabelesyegwa.

Akazwa ku Mexico Kumane Akamwaika Nyika Yoonse!

Bulimi bwamapopwe bwakatalikila kumasi aaku America ikapati mucisi ca Mexico. Bana Peru bansiku bakali kukomba leza wamapopwe mukaintu iwakajisi musini wamapopwe aaimvwi nji. Mulembi wamakani aazilengwaleza Joseph Kastner waamba kuti, bantu bategwa American Indians bakali “kukomba [mapopwe] alimwi bakali kwaamba kuti akapangwa abaleza akuti akabelesyegwa mukupanga bantu . . . Ncisyango catakali kubakatazya kulima—ipopwe lyomwe buyo lyakali kukonzya kupa kuti muntu akkute buzuba boonse.” Nokuba boobo, bana Latin America bakali kulya anyabo mbubwenya mbobacita amazuba aano.

Bana Europe bakazyi kwaazyiba mapopwe mu 1492 Christopher Columbus naakasika kumasi aaku Caribbean. Mwanaakwe Columbus wazyina lya Ferdinand wakalemba kuti bausyi bakabona mapopwe alimwi bakaamba kuti alanona akuti bunji bwaziindi alajikwa, alayokwa naa kugaigwa busu. Columbus wakatoleela mbuto amane Kastner wakalemba kuti “kuzyi kusika akati-kati kamyaka yakuma 1500, [mapopwe] akali kulimwa kutali buyo mu Spain, pele amu Bulgaria aku Turkey. Kwiinda mubantu bakali kuula bazike, mapopwe akasika mu Africa. . . . Ibalombwana mbocakali kweenda limwi a [sikulingula masena aakule waku Spain iwakazyalilwa ku Portugal wazyina lya Ferdinand] Magellan bakamwaya mbuto yaku Mexico mumasi aaku Asia amu Philippines.” Oobu mbwaakamwaika mapopwe munyika yoonse.

Mazuba aano, mapopwe ncecakulya cabili akati kazilyo zyanseke nzyobalya bantu munyika yoonse. Cakusaanguna nguwiiti. Catatu mupunga. Zilyo eezyi zyotatwe nzyobalya bantu banji munyika, kubikkilizya abanyama.

Mbubonya mbuli zisyango zimwi, mapopwe ali mumisyobo minji. Mucikozyanyo, mu United States molikke muli misyobo iinda ku 1,000 yamapopwe kubikkilizya ayaayo aapangwa kwiinda mukusanganya mbuto. Mapopwe aliindene kulampa. Aamwi ajinkila amasentimita aali 60 pele amwi alasika kumamita aali cisambomwi! Ayalo mikuba yamapopwe iliindene kulampa. Mikuba imwi isika buyo kumasentimita osanwe; iimwi mane isika kumasentimita aali 60. Ibbuku litegwa Latin American Cooking lyaamba kuti, mapopwe amwi aku South America mapati kwiinda gaankata cakuti nseke zisika kumpyungu yamunwe kukomena (2.5 cm).

Kunze lyaboobo, mapopwe aliindene mubala. Kuli mapopwe aamubala wamungunga waji, aasalala, aacijulujulu, aasubila-subila, aamwi alasiya. Alimwi zimwi ziindi, mikuba imwi yamapopwe ilaakuba anseke zyamubala uusiyene-siyene. Aboobo, cicitika zimwi ziindi ncakuti muciindi cakwaajika mapopwe aaya, ibamwi baapanga kuba madeeko.

Mapopwe Alabelesyegwa Munzila Zinji

Misyobo yoonse yamapopwe ilakonzya kubikkwa muzibeela zili cisambomwi: amwi ajisi nseke zibbookede atala (dent corn), amwi mayumu mbuli kafwamba (flint corn), amwi ikuti agaigwa alaabusu bunji (flour corn), amwi alalweela (sweet corn), amwi alaamafwuta (waxy corn) kumane aamwi alabboloka ikuti akangwa (popcorn). Balimi bamapopwe aalweela mbasyoonto. Icipa kuti mapopwe aaya kaalweela ncakuti kulweela kumwi kujanwa mumo takusandulwi kuba busani butegwa starch. Nyika yoonse mboizulwa, mapopwe manji aalimwa (60 pesenti) abelesyegwa kusanina banyama eelyo masyoonto buyo (aataindi ku 20 pesenti) ngobalya bantu. Acaala (aatandila ku 20 pesenti) alabelesyegwa mumafakitoli naa iba buyo mbuto. Masimpe ngakuti, icisi acimwi ciliindene caboola kukubelesya mapopwe.

Mapopwe alabelesyegwa munzila zinji. Nseke zyamapopwe naa tubeela twanseke tulabelesyegwa ikupanga zyintu mbuli glue, mayonnaise, bukoko atukwesa. Alimwi alabelesyegwa mukupanga mungwimba uutegwa ethanol—nokuba kuti ibamwi eeci tacibakondi. Masimpe ngakuti, cisyango eeci cilibedelede cilakonzya kubelesyegwa munzila zinji.

[Kabbokesi kali apeeji 13]

Imbuto Zyamapopwe Zyacikuwa

Muzisi zinji, balimi bamapopwe bavwula kusyanga mbuto zyacikuwa akaambo kakuti eeci cibapa kuba abutebuzi bubotu. Imbuto zyacikuwa ikapati zibbookede atala, zilapangwa kwiinda mukusanganya mbuto zibotu. Pele eeci cipa kuti lyoonse balimi kabayandika kuula mbuto eeyi. Nkaambo nzi? Ikusyanga mapopwe ngomwakatebula kuzwa kumbuto zyacikuwa kanji-kanji takupi butebuzi bubotu.

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Kuli misyobo minji yamapopwe munyika

[Kulumba]

Courtesy Sam Fentress

Courtesy Jenny Mealing/flickr.com