FOOD CULTURE IN NIGERIA: IJAW PEOPLE IN PERSPECTIVE

I guess we all are very familiar with the popular saying" Food is Life". Surprisingly, if you are not, then, this is a good opportunity for you to know. Indeed, for foodies like myself, food is life and good food is paradise. But apart from seeing food as a tool for biological sustenance, it is equally important to see it as a crucial aspect of human culture and heritage. In fact, from our district way of dressing, belief system, religion to our language, food is another aspect of human life that forms an integral part of a peoples' cultural identity. Food is a deeply rooted expression of identity, values and ways of life. Little wonder when Afang soup is mentioned, every true Nigerian immediately remembers the good people of Akwa Ibom State. Oh! Akwa Ibom Ayaya. What about Afia Efere, Atama, Editang, among other mouth-watering and tongue-licking delicacies of the people of Akwa Abasi Ibom? They are all amazing and can make you spend your last Kobo just to make sure you don't miss out on any of them. Foods are family treasures especially with the way recipes are passed on from one generation to another thus maintaining family convention and cultural links. For instance, in Nigeria, there are over three hundred different ethnic groups and each of these groups has district food culture. That is to say that each group is known for a special kind of delicacy that makes it unique and culturally relevant. Also, let it be stated that unfortunately ,what we have come to describe as food culture in the 21st Century Nigeria is a concoction of food substances relaying a peoples' diluted cultural backgrounds. While some people have lost the glorious recipes of their foods to western influence, others do not even know or understand the symbolism of cooking and enjoying one's traditional meal. As shameful as it is, the so-called modern Nigerians have wholly given in to synthetic and "wait and take foods" while despising ogiri, uziza, onugbo, uziza, nchanwu, akpu, ede, among other indigenous recipes that are not only healthy to the body but are also terrifying to the soul. Indeed, we have lost our cultural taste buds and our children happens to be the ones that would suffer the effect more. In this article, we will look at the food Culture of Ijaw people. One interesting fact about these people is that they do not joke with fish and plantain. Little wonder, a typical Ijaw man looks healthy, strong and agile. Some of Ijaw people"s delicacy include the following: <ol> <li>Polofiyai This is a very delicious soup that is made with yams and palm oil. It is a fish delicacy that is cooked with plenty fish, periwinkles, fragrance leaf, and other ingredients like onions, pepper and salt.</li> <li>Keke Fieye This delicacy is highly proteinous. It is plantain pottage cooked with plantain and garnished with snails. </li> <li>Bole and fish This delicacy is generally eaten by Ijaw people. Bole is a cooked plantain delicacy which is often accompanied with flame-broiled fish. The fish is barbecued with pepper sauce and both food can always be found on the streets of Warri, Bayelsa and Port Harcourt respectively. </li> <li>Opuru Fulou Also referred to as prawn soup, the soup is prepared mainly with prawn, ogbono, dried fish, crayfish, onions, palm oil, fresh pepper, salt and other ingredients.</li> <li>Ignabeni This soup is watery and it is prepared with either yam or plantain seasoned with teabrush leaves, goat meat and fish.</li> <li>Pilo Garri This delicacy is mostly eaten during the rainy season. It is prepared with dry garri, red palm oil, salt and eaten with roasted seafoods like fish, etc.</li> <li>Igbugbai Fiyai As weird as it seems, this soup is prepared without oil, only fish. It is cooked with prawn, periwinkles, bush leaves and seafoods. It is mostly cooked by Odimodi people.</li> </ol> Overall, these and many other delicacies represent Ijaw food culture and social organisation. It exemplifies Ijaw people as a unique and distinct people whose foods don't lack seafoods, yam and plantain. Just like Igbo people are known for Akpu and Onugbo, and Yoruba people are known for Amala and Ewedu, Ijaw people are known for Polofiyai, among the other mentioned foods.

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