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Egusi

Ground melon seed used to thicken West African soups.

Egusi — illustrative ingredient image

About Egusi

Egusi is ground melon seed used to thicken and enrich West African soups. It refers to a seed ingredient rather than sweet melon flesh. Depending on the culinary tradition and product, it may be stirred into soups with vegetables, meat, fish, or other seasonings.

The ground seed gives soups body and a pleasantly nutty, savoury character. Raw, roasted, finely milled, coarsely ground, pasted, or partially defatted egusi can differ in aroma, oiliness, particle size, and mouthfeel. Cooking disperses the seed through liquid and produces a thick, creamy, or slightly grainy texture.

Egusi is sold as whole seeds, coarse or fine meal, paste, or partially defatted powder. The seeds may be toasted before grinding, which deepens their aroma and flavour. In soup, the ground ingredient can be stirred directly into the pot or formed into small dumplings before cooking.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where egusi appears

3 linked foods

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Sides

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for egusi

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

egusi

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Egusi nutrition & diet

Egusi nutritional value

Melon seed, kernel only, dried, raw — WAFCT 06_013

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the named food form.

Calories
574kcal
Protein
27.6g
Carbs
11.6g
Fat
45.0g

Per 100 g edible portion. Source: Vincent et al., FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Table for Western Africa (2019). Carbohydrate is available carbohydrate calculated by difference; square-bracketed fat in the source uses continuous-extraction analysis. Values describe this reference form, not every recipe, cultivar or preparation.

Portions & preparation

Establish what the catalogue calls egusi before selecting a reference: the melon species, whole or ground seed, and raw, roasted, or cooked form. If it is used in soup, record the seed quantity and the complete recipe separately. Do not substitute another seed or a finished soup without confirmation.

Compare the right form: Match the reference to the confirmed egusi seed identity and its whole, ground, roasted, or cooked form; for soup, match the recipe.

Diet considerations

Egusi refers to a plant seed when that identity is confirmed, but regional naming can encompass different melon seeds or prepared products. Compatibility changes with meat, fish, dairy, animal fat, cereal thickeners, and stock in soups. Portion and recipe composition determine carbohydrate patterns in a finished sauce or stew.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Table for Western Africa (2019) — 06_013 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .