African oil bean seed is a nutrient-packed food condiment native to Eastern Nigeria. It is popularly known as “Ukpaka” or “ugba” in Igbo land, “apara” in Yoruba land, and is called “Ukana” by the Efiks in Southern Nigeria. The botanical name of African oil bean is Pentaclethra macrophylla.

What is Ukpaka called in English?

What is Ugba / Ukpaka (African Oil bean seed) Ugba or Ukpaka as it’s also called is the seed from the African oil bean tree. This is a tree found in the tropics and belongs to the leguminoseae family.

How healthy is ugba?

As an important nutritional item, ugba is very rich in protein. It similarly plays an economic, social and cultural role among the Ibos in the eastern part of Nigeria. The production of ugba is usually pursued as a family business that has become an art that is handed over from one generation to another.