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Bissap in Burkina Faso

Bissap, a therapeutic plant valued by the Gourmantché in Burkina Faso

In Gourmantché country, Bissap is widely used for its great virtues. In the village, it is called "Sopougoungou": it means "which increases the blood". With Bissap, we use the leaves, the flowers and the seeds in our food and nutritional habits.

Whenever a child has a nosebleed - and this is quite common in our country because of the environment - we boil the Bissap and give it to them to drink gradually over a number of days.

Bissap is also used as a miracle plant for women who give birth, especially for those who have had difficult deliveries with blood loss. For example, after giving birth, the Gulmantché woman in the village will drink Bissap regularly for at least a week to compensate for the blood lost during childbirth.

Beyond that, Bissap is a plant whose drink is highly regarded by all social layers of our community: children, teenagers, youth, adults and the elderly. It is consumed on various happy or unhappy occasions: baptisms, weddings, funerals... or simply when welcoming a guest.

In households, the leaves (of Bissap) and seeds are used for cooking and preserving food. It improves the taste.

Nadinga Tiabrimani, native of the community

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