Ngaba Uyawathanda Amakhowa?

KWIYIPUTA yamandulo ayesisidlo sooFaro. Ayegcinelwa abantwana basebukhosini. AmaRoma ayesithi kukutya kwezithixo ngoko ewadla ngezihlandlo ezikhethekileyo kuphela. AmaGrike amandulo ayewaxabisa kangangokuba ayekholelwa ukuba omeleza amajoni emfazweni.

Noko ke, namhlanje akadliwa ziingcungcu kuphela. Ehlabathini lonke abantu bayazifikisela kuwo! Kuthekani ngawe? Ukuba uyawathanda, ngaba uyazi ukuba yintoni kanye oyityayo? Ngaba yinyama, yimifuno okanye nto yimbi? Alinywa njani? Ngaba anesondlo? Xa ubona ikhowa endle, yintoni omele uyenze?

Ekubeni sasifuna ezi mpendulo, nenkosikazi sangena emotweni sisuka eSydney, eOstreliya, sasinga eMittagong, idolophu entle esemazantsi kummandla weentaba zeNew South Wales. Uyazi ukuba sasisiya phi? Kwifama yamakhowa kaNoel Arrold.

Ukulinywa Kwamakhowa

UNoel, isigantsontso saseOstreliya, yingcali ngezinto ezincinane eziphilayo ezibonwa ngemikroskopu nangamakhowa. Wafundela ukulima amakhowa kumazwe ahlukeneyo waza wabuyela eOstreliya eze kuwalima ngenjongo yokushishina. Uthi: “Amakhowa ayifungi njengeenkowane nomngundo. Iingcali zebhayoloji zazikade zicinga ukuba ifungi zizityalo, kodwa ngoku siyazi ukuba akunjalo.

“Kaloku ifungi ayisebenzisi iphotosynthesis ukuvelisa ukutya njengokuba zisenza zonke izityalo. Iyakwazi ukukhula ebumnyameni. Umzimba wayo uvelisa iienzymes ezinamandla okuguqula izinto zeorganic zibe ziinutrient, eziba kukutya. Nale ndlela yahlukileyo yokusila ukutya iyayahlula ifungi kwizilwanyana. Ekubeni ifungi ingesosityalo okanye isilwanyana, ngoku iingcali zebhayoloji zithi ifungi iluhlobo olwahlukileyo.”

UNoel uhlabela mgama athi: “Phaya endle, amakhowa avuthiweyo akhupha imbewu ehamba emoyeni ethi yakudibana nephuma kwamanye amakhowa ilungele ukuntshula. Ukuba loo mbewu ilungele ukuntshula iwela kwindawo ebandayo, efumileyo nenokutya okuninzi iyakhula ibe ngamakhowa amatsha. Abalimi bamakhowa baxelisa le nkqubo ukuze bavelise amakhowa asemgangathweni.”

Njengoko siqhubeka nokhenketho lwethu, uNoel usicacisela ukuba ziyahlukahlukana iimeko akhula kuzo amakhowa kuxhomekeka kuhlobo lwawo. Ngokomzekelo, amakhowa amhlophe, awona athandwayo ehlabathini akhula kakuhle kwiindawo ezinomgquba. Ezinye iintlobo zikhula kakuhle xa zityalwe kwiingxowa ezinenkunkuma yezityalo, iibhotile ezinokutya okuziinkozo, kwiziqobo zemithi okanye ikafu yemithi. Kumawaka eentlobo ezingaziwayo zamakhowa zimalunga nama-60 kuphela ezilinyelwa ukuthengiswa.

UNoel ukhulisa amakhowa akhe kwitonela elidala likaloliwe nelingasasetyenziswayo kufuphi naseMittagong. Uthi: “Lipholile, lifumile yaye liyeyona ndawo ifanele amakhowa.” Apho kukho udederhu lweengxowa, iimbiza neebhotile ezichume ngamawaka amakhowa azo zonke iintlobo. Amanye asikhumbuza ngokudubula kweentyatyambo iirozi; amanye iinyibiba okanye ezinye iintyatyambo ezintle. Sathabatheka gqitha yiloo mibala mihle ilapho!

Amnandi Yaye Enza Izinto Ezininzi

UNoel uthi: “Abantu abaninzi bayabuthanda ubuhle bamakhowa kodwa abayazi indlela aphekwa ngayo. Kodwa ke kulula ukuwapheka. Abanye bayawanqunqa baze bawagcade, benze isuphu neesaladi, okanye bawose njengokuba enjalo xa besenza ibrayi. Kodwa mna ndithanda la kuthiwa yioyista wona abhuqwa ngengququ yesonka emva koko agcadwe ngeoli. Kukho ekuthiwa yishiitake amnandi ngathi yinyama ngakumbi xa efakwe kwiqanda eligcadiweyo.”

Amakhowa anezondlo ezininzi, iifayibha, iiproteni, iiminerali neevithamini Kukho iintlobo ezimalunga nama-2 000 ekuthiwa ziyasetyenziswa ekwenzeni amayeza. Ngokutsho kolunye uhlolisiso lwezamayeza, izinto ezifunxwe kwikhowa zisetyenziswa kumayeza angaphezu kwe-100, kuquka ukulwa nomhlaza, ihepatitis, uGawulayo, isifo sika-Alzheimer, nekholesteroli ephezulu.

Kuyo yonke loo nto, kunokuba yingozi gqitha ukuziqokelelela amakhowa endle. Phakathi kwamakhowa abulalayo, kukho ekhuthiwa yideath cap (Amanita phalloides), elifana nqwa namakhowa amaninzi adliwayo kodwa lona liyabulala. Ngoko nantsi into omele uyenze: Ungaze udle amakhowa asendle ngaphandle kokuba kutsho ingcali yawo! Enyanisweni, amakhowa alinyelwa ushishino ngawona akhuselekileyo. Asisidlo esimuncis’ iintuphu esasisakudliwa ngookumkani kuphela!

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INTO EYENZEKAYO KWIKHOWA

Ubukhulu becala amakhowa asendle akhula kwiindawo ezipholileyo, ezifumileyo nakumahlathi amnyama, apho aguqula imithi efileyo, utyani nobulongwe bezilwanyana bube yiorganic echumisa umhlaba. Amanye aba ngumtya nethunga nemithi. Kaloku loo makhowa atya iorganic ekwiingcambu zayo, ngoxa yona imithi ifumana izondlo ezifunxwa ngaloo makhowa.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 23]

AMACEBISO NGAMAKHOWA

• Xa esefrijini wagcine kwibhegi yephepha okanye yelaphu. Ekubeni ethanda ukusezela ivumba, kulumkele ukuwabeka ecaleni kwezinto ezinevumba elibukhali.

• Ukuba uwatya ekrwada amakhowa, wacoce ngelaphu elifumileyo okanye uwathi nkxu ngokukhawuleza emanzini uze uwampampathe ngelaphu de ome. Musa ukuwagcina emanzini.

• Xa uwapheka, nakuphi na ukungcola okubonayo kususe ngebrashi ethambileyo.

• Musa ukuwakera—amaxolo awo amnandi yaye anesondlo!

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Amakhowa akhuliswa kwindawo enobushushu obufanelekileyo

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Wambi amakhowa afana neentyatyambo ezintle

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Amakhowa osiweyo kunye nehummus, isipinatshi, ikonofile, namagqabi etswele eluluhlaza anqunqiweyo

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Courtesy of the Mushroom Information Center

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Top: Courtesy of the Mushroom Information Center; bottom: Courtesy of the Australian Mushroom Growers Association