enset

Enset, scientifically known as Ensete ventricosum, is a perennial herb in the banana family (Musaceae) that is native to and widely cultivated in Ethiopia. It is grown primarily for its starchy underground parts and pseudostem rather than for fruit, and it constitutes a major staple food for many communities, especially in the southern highlands.

The plant forms a large pseudostem with broad leaves and can reach several meters in height. Enset is usually propagated vegetatively from suckers or corm fragments and grown in home gardens or field plots. It is valued for its ability to produce reliable staple foods in environments with variable rainfall and poorer soils.

Harvesting focuses on the starch stored in the corm and pseudostem. The edible starch is processed into kocho, a fermented, bread-like product, and bulla, a dried starch flour. Kocho and bulla are central to traditional Ethiopian cuisine. Leaves and fiber from the plant are used in crafts and as animal fodder, while the plant’s cardamom-like scent and parts may have additional local uses.

Enset plays a critical role in food security for millions of people in Ethiopia due to its resilience to drought and its ability to provide food during periods when other staples fail. However, enset is susceptible to diseases such as bacterial wilt caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, which poses a significant threat to production. Ongoing breeding, propagation, and agronomic practices aim to improve yield, resilience, and disease resistance.