CINGA nje ngento esetyenziswa njengeyeza, ekucoceni, ekubulaleni iintsholongwane, nasekunyamekeleni ulusu ukuze lube luhle. Iyatyiwa, iyaselwa, ukanti sifumana neoli kuyo. Ithi ndijonge, ifumaneka ehlabathini lonke, yaye ixabiso layo liphantsi. Mhlawumbi ikho kwakho kanye ngalo mzuzu. Yintoni leyo? Yilamuni!

Kucingelwa ukuba iilamuni zazivela kuMzantsi-mpuma weAsiya. Abantu baqhubeka behamba nazo ukuya kwintshona yeMeditera. Iilamuni zikhula kwimozulu epholileyo, yiloo nto zichuma eArgentina, eItali, eMexico, eSpeyin, nakwezinye iindawo zaseAfrika naseAsiya. Kuxhomekeka kwindawo okhula kuyo, umthi wazo unokuthwala iilamuni ezingama-200 ukusa kwezili-1 500 ngonyaka. Kukho iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zeelamuni nezidubula ngamaxesha ahlukeneyo, nto leyo eyenza zifumaneke unyaka wonke.

Izimvo zisabethabethana ngombandela wokuba amaRoma amandulo ayenazo na iilamuni. Kukho ubungqina obubhaliweyo bokuba amaRoma ayenalo uhlobo oluthile lwelamuni. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Natural History, umbhali-mbali ongumRoma uPliny Elder, uluchaza ngokungqalileyo olo hlobo lomthi nesiqhamo salo sohlobo lweelamuni. Kodwa ke, iingcali zikholelwa ukuba amaRoma ayezazi nazo iilamuni eziqhelekileyo. Ngoba? Kaloku mininzi imifanekiso yalapho ebonisa iilamuni. Omnye umzekelo woko lipomakazi elafunyanwa ePompeii, nelibizwa ngegama elifanelekileyo lokuba nguMyezo Wendlu, kuba iyokozela yimifanekiso yezityalo ezahlukeneyo kuquka nemithi yelamuni. Yinyaniso ukuba ngelo xesha imithi yazo yayinqabile mhlawumbi isetyenziswa njengeyeza kuphela. Kunzima ukuchaza ukuba kwakulula kangakanani na ukulima nokusasaza iilamuni.

Ekubeni isiqithi iSisili sinehlobo elide nobusika obungabandi kangako, sinkqenkqeza phambili ekuveliseni iisitrasi neelamuni. Kodwa zikho nezinye iindawo ngakumbi ezo zigudle unxweme ezivelisa iilamuni zodidi oluphezulu.

Idolophu yaseSorrento entle kunene ikumazantsi eNaples, yaye kumazantsi  ayo lunxweme lweAmalfi—kumgama nje ongaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-40 ukusuka kunxwemekazi olungayiwayo. Mgama xa ugugutha elunxwemeni ufumana iidolophu ezintle, iAmalfi, iPositano, neVietri sul Mare. Kunxweme lweSorrento nolweAmalfi kuveliswa iilamuni ezigximfizwe ngesitampu, isiqinisekiso sokuba zilinywe apho. Abantu balapho bayayikhusela imithi yabo yelamuni, bayityala ngobulumko kwithambeka lentaba apho zifumana ubushushu belanga kutsho kuphume iilamuni ezinevumba elimnandi nezivuza amanzi.

Akufuneki mhlaba mninzi ukuze utyale iilamuni. Zinokutyalwa nakwiveranda efumana ilanga, njengoko imithi yazo emifutshane inokukhulela nakwiivazi yaye ihombisa kakuhle. Ikhula kakuhle kwindawo enelanga, nengenamoya nto leyo eyinceda igcine ubushushu, ngakumbi xa yayanyiswe eludongeni. Ukuba ebusika kubanda kakhulu, kufuneka igqunywe okanye ifakwe endlwini.

Uzisebenzisa emva kwexesha elingakanani iilamuni? Abanye bayifaka etini; abanye banonga ngayo ukutya okanye iikeyiki. Mhlawumbi wenza isiselo selemonade ngamanzi ayo. Ehlabathini jikelele abapheki bahlala besebenzisa zona. Ngaba wakha wawasebenzisa amanzi ayo ukubulala iintsholongwane okanye ukususa amabala?

Abanye bacoca baze babulale ngayo iintsholongwane ngokukhuhla iibhodi zokunqunqa ukutya ngelamuni. Kunokusebenzisa iblitshi ukususa amabala, okanye ukucoca isinki, bambi badibanisa amanzi ayo nebaking soda. Kuthiwa ukuyisika phakathi uyifake efrijini okanye kumatshini wokuhlamba izitya kuphelisa ivumba elibi baze aba matshini banuke kamnandi.

IiLamuni zinecitric acid, elondoloza izinto kutsho kufumaneke izidlo neziselo ezimuncu. Uxolo lwelamuni lukhupha into ekuthiwa yipectin, esetyenziswa ukwenza ukutya kujiye. Ukongezelela koko, kumaxolo ayo kufunxwa ioli esetyenziswa xa kuphekwa, kusenziwa amayeza, nezinto zokuthambisa. Zininzi izinto esetyenziswa kuzo ilamuni. Ngokwenene, iilamuni sisiqhamo esinemibala, incasa, nesisetyenziswa kwizinto ezahlukeneyo.