AKE ucabange ngomkhiqizo ongasetshenziswa njengomuthi, njengento yokuhlanza izinto, njengesibulala-magciwane nanjengesimonyo. Ungawudla, uphuze umpe lwawo futhi ukhiphe namafutha abalulekile. Unesembozo esihle, utholakala emhlabeni wonke futhi awubizi kakhulu. Kungenzeka unawo ekhishini lakho njengamanje. Yini leyo? Ulamula!

Kuthiwa umsuka kalamula useNingizimu-nyakatho ye-Asia. Kusukela kule ndawo, kancane kancane waya entshonalanga ngaseMedithera. Izihlahla zikalamula ziyachuma ezindaweni ezifudumele, futhi yingakho ukhula kahle ezindaweni ezinjenge-Argentina, i-Italy, iMexico neSpain, ngisho nakwezinye izingxenye ze-Afrika ne-Asia. Isihlahla esesikhulile, kuye ngohlobo lwaso nendawo esikuyo, singathela ulamula ongaba ngu-200 kuya ku-1 500 ngonyaka. Izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene ziqhakaza ngezinkathi zonyaka ezingafani, okuwenza uvunwe phakathi nawo wonke unyaka.

Ukuthi amaRoma asendulo ayewutshala yini ulamula noma cha kuseyimpikiswano. Kunobufakazi obubhaliwe bokuthi amaRoma ayewazi ulamula, esinye isithelo sohlobo lwawo, esifana kakhulu nolamula omkhulu. Encwadini yaso ethi Natural History, isazi-mlando esingumRoma uPliny Omdala sakhuluma ngokuqondile ngesihlahla sohlobo lukalamula nezithelo zaso. Nokho, izazi ezivelele zikholelwa ukuthi amaRoma ayewazi nolamula. Kungani? Kungenxa yezithombe ezidwetshwe odongeni nemifekethiso ebonisa lezi zithelo hhayi isihlahla esithi asifane nolamula. Esinye salezi zibonelo, imivubukulo yomuzi omkhulu eyatholakala ePompeii, owabizwa kufanele ngokuthi i-Orchard House, njengoba wawuhlotshiswe ngezithombe ezinezitshalo ezihlukahlukene kuhlanganise nesithombe sesihlahla sikalamula. Kuyavunywa ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi, cishe sasibhekwa njengesihlahla sakwelinye izwe futhi kungenzeka sasisetshenziselwa ukwelapha. Kunzima ukusho ukuthi kwakulula kangakanani ukutshala ulamula nokuthi wawusakazeke kangakanani.

Isiqhingi saseSicily, esinehlobo elithatha isikhathi eside nobusika obungabandi kakhulu, siye sahamba phambili ekukhiqizeni izithelo zohlobo lukalamula kuhlanganise nolamula uqobo. Kodwa kunezindawo, ngokuyinhloko ezingasogwini, lapho kutshalwa khona ulamula osezingeni eliphakeme.

Idolobha elihle iSorrento liseningizimu yeNaples, futhi eningizimu yalo kunogu oluhle kakhulu i-Amalfi olungamakhilomitha  angaphezu nje kwangu-40. Kude nalolu gu, kunamadolobhana amahle okuthiwa i-Amalfi, iPositano neVietri sul Mare, uma sibala ambalwa. Ogwini lwaseSorrento nolwase-Amalfi kukhiqizwa ulamula onesitifiketi esibizwa ngokuthi i-Protection Authority, isiqinisekiso sokuthi ngempela utshalwe kule ndawo. Abantu bakule ndawo bayazivikela izihlahla zabo zikalamula, njengoba lezi zihlahla zatshalwa ngokuhlakanipha ezindaweni eziseceleni kwentaba, lapho zithola khona ilanga futhi zithele ulamula onephunga elimnandi nonompe oluningi.

Akudingeki ube nendawo enkulu ukuze utshale isihlahla sikalamula. Ngisho nakuvulandi othola ilanga, ngoba izihlahla zikalamula ezimfushane zingatshalwa ezimbizeni futhi zinhle kabi ekuhlobiseni. Ziyayithanda indawo enelanga futhi engenawo umoya lapho zingathokomala khona, ikakhulukazi eduze kodonga. Nokho, uma izinga lokushisa lehla kakhulu phakathi nobusika, kufanele zembozwe noma zifakwe ngaphakathi endlini.

Uvame kangakanani ukusebenzisa ulamula? Abanye bafaka ucezwana lwawo etiyeni; abanye basebenzisa amakhasi awo noma amaconsana ompe lwawo ezinhlotsheni ezihlukahlukene zamakhekhe. Mhlawumbe uyawukhama ukuze wenze isiphuzo sawo. Abapheki abaphambili emhlabeni bebelokhu beba nawo njalo ulamula ukuze bawusebenzise lapho bepheka. Kodwa, ingabe wake walusebenzisa umpe lukalamula ukuze ubulale amagciwane noma ususe isisihla?

Empeleni, abanye abantu bahlanza futhi babulale ngawo amagciwane ngokuwugcoba ogqokweni. Kunokusebenzisa i-bleach ukuze basuse izisihla noma bahlanze usinki, abanye basebenzisa ingxube yompe lukalamula nosoda wokubhaka. Kuthiwa ungafaka ucezu lukalamula esiqandisini noma emshinini wokuwasha izitsha ukuze uqede iphunga elibi futhi ugcine izinto zikagesi zasendlini zinuka kahle.

Ulamula uwumthombo we-citric acid, esetshenziswa njengesakhi semvelo esivimbela ukonakala nesenza ukudla noma isiphuzo sibe muncwana. Ingxenye emhloshana ekulamula nekhasi lawo, kwakha i-pectin, esetshenziswa emkhakheni wezokudla njengento eshubisayo, ihlanganiswa namafutha wenze isithako futhi iyasetshenziswa nasemikhiqizweni yezinwele. Ngaphezu kwalokho kunamafutha akhishwa emakhasini asetshenziswa emkhakheni wezokudla, emithini nasezimonyweni. Ziningi kakhulu izinto ulamula osetshenziswa kuzo. Ulamula unombala ogqamile uyanambitheka futhi uyisithelo esiyisimanga.