Pit-buried - Ethiopia
Kocho
A hole in the ground lined with banana leaves, three to six weeks, and a pH that falls from 6.7 to 3.7. It is included because it is a lactic fermentation of a vegetable and this site does not get to leave one out for being inconvenient to reproduce, which this very much is.
7 steps, every one quoted from FAO Bulletin 134 6.3.2. The step labels are this site's; the sentences under them are not.
Quantities
No source consulted here states a quantity for Kocho - not a percentage, not a ratio. The method below is what was recorded and the amounts were not, so this site prints none. Judging the salt by eye is exactly the part of a ferment worth not guessing at, and the general method for this family of pickles carries figures that this one does not.
Every number the source states
- Fermentation time
- three to six weeks
- Starting pH
- 6.7
- Terminal pH
- 3.7
- Vessel
- A pit 0.6 to 1.5 m deep and 1.2 to 2 m wide, lined with banana leaves
Food is left to ferment for three to six weeks, after which time it becomes soft, has a strong odour and a paste-like consistency.
The pH of the fruit within the pit decreases from 6.7 to 3.7 within about four weeks.
The pH of the fruit within the pit decreases from 6.7 to 3.7 within about four weeks.
A family pit may be 0.6 to 1.5 metres deep and 1.2 to 2 metres wide with a capacity of about fifty breadfruits.
Method
Numbered for your place in the list. Every sentence below is the source's own, verified against the page it came from when this table was last built from the sources.
Choose the site
The type of soil and its drainage are important in the selection of a pit site.
Dig and line
A family pit may be 0.6 to 1.5 metres deep and 1.2 to 2 metres wide with a capacity of about fifty breadfruits.
Prepare the leaves
The central stems are removed from fresh banana leaves and they are wilted in the sun until they become soft and pliable.
Line the pit
The pit is lined with dry leaves, then green leave are folded and arranged, overlapping each other, around the sides of the pit and extending over the top.
Fill and seal
Washed, peeled food is placed in the pit, green banana leaves are folded over the top of the food and heavy stones are placed on top to weigh down the leaves.
Ferment
Food is left to ferment for three to six weeks, after which time it becomes soft, has a strong odour and a paste-like consistency.
Finish
The fermented food is washed and fibrous material removed. It is then dried in the sun for several hours to remove the volatile odours. It is then pounded into a paste.
What else the source says
- What happens in the pit
- During fermentation, carbon dioxide builds up in the pit, creating an anaerobic atmosphere.
- Hygiene
- It is essential that proper attention is given to hygiene of the pit and the fruit to be stored in it.
Before you make this
This site is a reference and not a food safety authority. It reports what named sources published and does not certify that any preparation is safe. The safety page sets out what the sources themselves say about acidity, about surface growth and about when to throw something away, and equipment lists the instruments the numbers above cannot be checked without.
The full record for this pickle, including every source consulted and the ones that disagree, is on its tradition page.
Method and asides from FAO 134 Battcock, M. and Azam-Ali, S. (1998) Fermented fruits and vegetables: A global perspective. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No. 134. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. Numbers from the same source, extracted separately and listed on methodology.