African Potash/ Kaun/ Akaun- 3.5oz- 100g/0.2lbs

Kaun Potash also known as Kaun (Yoruba), Akanwa (Igbo) or Kanwa (Hausa) is a lake salt (sodium bicarbonate) that is very dry and hydrated in nature.

Benefits of Kaun Potash (Akanwu, Kanwa)

1. Culinary Purposes: Kaun is edible and used for cooking pulses like beans, akidi (black Mexican beans), and fiofio (cowpea beans) to tenderize them easily. It is also added to ewedu and okro soup to boost viscosity, greenness, and texture of the vegetables, and used for mixing water and oil in local dishes like abacha, ugba, and nkwobi.
2. Toothache Relief: Ground akanwu mixed with water can be applied to the tooth to relieve toothache.
3. Preservative: Kaun potash solution can act as a preservative.
4. Fungicidal Properties: Contains fungicidal properties, useful for cleaning and preventing molds and mildews.
5. Fire Extinguishing: Potash, known as potassium bicarbonate, can be used as a fire suppressant in some dry fire extinguishers.
6. Fertilizer Production: Used chemically for producing fertilizers due to its potassium and sulfur content.
7. Abortion Induction: Can induce abortion in early pregnancies by increasing uterine contractility. Pregnant women are advised to refrain from taking any potash concoction.
8. Medicinal Purposes: Used by traditionalists for preparing herbal medicines and concoctions.
9. Cough Treatment: Acts as an expectorant, capable of curing cough.
10. Constipation Relief: Acts as an antacid, used for constipation and flatulence relief.
11. Tobacco Snuff Preparation: Used for preparing tobacco snuff, combined with other local ingredients to form utaba, a type of local snuff.
12. Lactation Purposes: Capable of increasing breast milk production and quality in new mothers. Hausa women use potash to prepare special porridge with millet and guinea corn after childbirth to boost breast milk production.