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Fermented Locust Bean

Fermented locust bean is a pungent fermented legume product used to season soups, stews, and sauces.

Fermented Locust Bean — illustrative ingredient image

About Fermented Locust Bean

Fermented locust bean is a seasoning made from the seeds of the African locust bean tree after cooking and fermentation. It is added to soups, stews, sauces, and vegetable dishes, either whole, crumbled, pounded, or formed into a paste.

It has a pronounced pungent aroma with deeply savoury, fermented notes. Depending on processing, it may have a firm, crumbly, sticky, or paste-like texture, while its strength and moisture vary with fermentation and storage.

The product is typically dark brown to black. It may be sold as loose fermented seeds, moulded portions, or a packaged seasoning, and preparation can change it from whole seeds to crumbled, pounded, or paste-like forms.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

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Where fermented locust bean appears

1 linked foods

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Main dishes

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 fermented locust bean

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Fermented Locust Bean

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

Fermented Locust Bean nutrition & diet

Fermented Locust Bean nutritional value

African locust bean, fermented (soumbala) — WAFCT 03_042

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

Calories
375kcal
Protein
33.1g
Carbs
18.4g
Fat
15.6g

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

Confirm whether “locust bean” means the specified fermented legume seed rather than carob or another regional ingredient. Record the seed form, fermentation, drying, grinding, salt, and cooking state. Reference information should match the amount used as a seasoning or the amount eaten as a standalone preparation.

Compare the right form: Establish the regional identity and fermented seed form, distinguishing legume from carob, then match whole, ground, dried, or cooked product.

Diet considerations

If this refers to fermented legume seeds, it is plant-derived; the regional identity must first be confirmed because the common name is ambiguous. Compatibility changes with fish, shrimp, meat, dairy, animal fat, wheat, or other cereals added during preparation. Portion as seasoning differs from a larger legume serving.

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) — 03_042 ↗. 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: .