Yoruba Foods
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Yoruba people have a variety of food items from where common or locally based foods are made. Prominent among these food items are: Yam- water-yam, coco-yam, yellow-yam, potatoes, Grains- rice, beans, (white/brown/black) Cereal- millet, soya-beans, sorghum, Plantains- Paranta, Ọgbagba Corn- brown/red Wheat Ẹka, Ọpa-Ẹtun, Ẹka-Baba Cassava- Ẹgẹ, Gbaguda Vegetable – is a part of balanced diet in every Yoruba homes, it includes leafy and fruit/seed based vegetables Vegetable/Leafy category- such as: Ẹfọ, Tẹtẹ, Ebolo, Gbure, Ewedu
Vegetable/fruit and seed- such as: Onion, Carrot, Pepper (Rodo, Tataṣe, Wẹwẹ), Tomatoes. Melon (Ẹgusi- N la/kekere) Mushroom (Olu/Oosun) Fruits- Yoruba has a lot of fruit bearing trees, which for centuries were part of their dietary composition, and sources of materials for local medicines. Some of these trees include: Orange Ọsan Lime Ọsan-wẹwẹ Cherry Agbalumọ
Cashew Kaṣu Pine-Apple Ọpẹ-Oyinbo Paw-paw Ibẹpẹ Palm-Nut/Date Ẹyìn Palm-Kernel Ekurọ Mango Mangoro Locust Bean Iru-Woro/Pẹtẹ Wall-Nut Awusa Sugar-Cane Ireke Oro
Oil products and their sources Palm-Oil from Palm Tree Epo-pupa Vegetable Oil Ororo Melon oil from melon seeds Ẹgusi Ground-Nut oil from ground-nut seeds Ẹpa Castor oil Ororo Palm-Kernel oil from processed palm-nuts Adin-Ẹyan Coco-nut oil from coco-nut Adin-Agbọn
Meat based foods from domestic and wild animals Goat Ewurẹ/Mẹẹ, Obukọ Sheep Agutan, Agbo Cattle Malu
Pig Ẹlẹdẹ Chicken based meat- fowl, duck, turkey, hen, and guinea fowl Wild games of various types- herbivorous, carnivorous, insectivorous, etc Meaty foods also include sea foods of different types such as fish, shrimps, crabs and from animals which habitation is very close to water- like crocodile, alligator, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros.
Soup/Stew and Spices Ẹfọ- has variety; ẹfọ stew will also depend on the accompanied meal. This stew can be made quickly for exigency. Time consuming vegetable stew of different makes are made for ceremonies. There is Gbẹgiri- a rich Yoruba stew common in Ọyọ, Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Ọsun. It is for foods like pounded-yam (iyan), yam-flour (amala) and for Ẹba (made from Cassava flour). Other stews include plain pepper stew, the viscous vegetable (ewedu), Ọgbọna- another viscous soup to eat foods like amala, iyan, ẹba, fufu.
Table 28: Food Types and Sources in Yorubaland Food Source Food Varieties Where Commonly Found/Used
Iyan, Amala, Ikọkọrẹ, Dundun, Iyan- Ijeṣa, Ekiti, Ondo, Ọwọ, Ẹgba. Yam and variety-Yellow, Asun-iṣu, Elubọ Ẹbẹ, Ọjọjọ (grated Akoko Amala- Ibadan, Ọyọ, Ifẹ, Water-yam, Coco-yam, yam and then fry) (Ewuru), Ẹgba. Ikọkọrẹ-Ijẹbu, Ọjọjọ, all Potatoes Kukudunku. Yoruba land.
Gbaguda/Lafun-Ẹgba, Ijẹbu, Ọyọ, Garri (Cassava meal) Fufu, Oke-Ogun. Garri-Ijẹbu, Ondo, Cassava/Gbaguda Gbaguda/Lafun, Cassava flour, Ẹba, Akoko,Ọwọ Ẹba-Ijẹbu, Lagos, Cassava bread (Bẹju) Akoko, Akurẹ.
Ogi-all Yoruba land (as food and for Ẹkọ-Yangan, Ogi, Adalu (corn and administration of medication ) Ẹkọ- Corn/Maize beans cook together Agidi), Ipaka Yangan- all Yoruba land, Agidi- major (corn flour) food among Yoruba people
Mọin-mọin/Olele/Oole (a bean Mọin-mọin:all Yorubas; Akara- Beans- Brown, white,ẹwẹ, cake boiled with covered leaves), Elepo/Ororo-all Yoruba land (for (bean of maroon color), Ferege akara-elepo (fried bean cake), ẹwa social and religious purposes) Ẹwa- (boiled beans with or without all Yoruba groups ( its has condiments), Ekuru (fun-fun and social/cultural values, especially for Food Source Food Varieties Where Commonly Found/Used
aro), Kuduru. twins; also, it has religious function). Ekuru-Ọyọ, Ibadan, Ifẹ and other Yoruba sub-groups, because of its social significance.
Cook alone, or with beans, though a local food; but, popularized by Church and middle class workers. Became meal served during festive Rice seasons in cities and villages in the Rice/beans-all Yoruba land times past. But now a major staple food in Nigeria since the mass food importation (Uncle Bens) of mid- seventies.
Ẹfọ (varieties) all Yoruba land; Ẹfọ, Tẹtẹ, Ebolo, Ewuro, Ewedu, Ewedu-Ibadan,Ọyọ and other Vegetables Iṣapa. Yoruba groups. Gbure-Ondo, Akoko, Akurẹ, Ọwọ, Ifẹ, Ọyọ.
Ibadan, Ọyọ, Ilọrin-Afonja, Yorubas Gbẹgiri Gbẹgiri stew in Kwara (Igbomina and Ekiti), Oke- Ogun
Wheat-Ẹka Baba, Ọpa-Ẹtun Local wine Ọti-Ṣẹkẹtẹ All Yoruba land
Millet Local Wine- Burukutu. Some Yorubas
Palm-Wine- A highly priced Yoruba Ogurọ/ Palm Wine sourced local wine, which has religious, from a variety of Yoruba palm All Yoruba land for its multiple use. social, cultural and economic trees values.
Rain, Stream, River/ Lake, Bore- Hole (introduced by Colonial Water is useful to all; for its cultural, Omi/Water Government supported by the spiritual, social values, water is Church to prevent water borne regarded as life itself. diseases).
A fruit with medical and general use Fruits with dietary/medical Lime tree, a variety of Orange plant among the Yorubas; major values- Lime (Ọsan-Wẹwẹ) ingredient to make antidote (Aporo) for certain insect, snake, reptile Food Source Food Varieties Where Commonly Found/Used
bites, major ingredient with some herbs for coated tongue (Efu), disorder stomach, thrust.
Adin-ẹyan (Palm-kernel oil) is used for several local medicines, especially antidote (Ẹrọ) for life Palm Tree nuts (Ẹyìn, Ekurọ) Palm-Kernel, Nuts (Ekurọ, Ẹyìn) threatening illness. Major ingredients for pediatric medication; use to make local bath soap.
Roasted cashew nut is rich in oil; Cashew Nuts Kaṣu Cashew nuts, (Eso-Kaṣu) root, leaf and bark of the tree-major materials for local medicines.
Major material to produce body Coco-Nut fruit , produces oil (Adin- Coco-Nut Tree cream, lotion; use for cooking/ very Agbọn) tasty.
For cooking, to make body Ground-Nut seed Ground-Nut oil (Ororo) cream;also a medical item.
Palm-Tree, one of the most Palm-Oil, Kernel, Kernel oil, Oguṣọ valued economic trees in (local lamp) Iha (rind of the palm- Yoruba land; nothing is wasted All Yoruba land, it has a multiple use- nut) a local fire-booster, foot-mat, from this tree (from its fronds, as food, medical item, body cream, twig (igbago) to make enclosure or stem to the roots has one use and source of revenue; it has both yard, where herbs, fruits, flowers, or another) . After Cocoa tree, social and religious values. or vegetables are cultivated; fronds it is called second money- use to make hut (Agọ). making plant.
Pine-Apple (Ọpẹ-Oyinbo) Fruits- desserts All Yoruba land, appetizer/dessert.
All Yoruba land, eat as appetizer, Mango/ Mangoro Mango-Mango Seed for (Apọn). dessert.
All Yoruba people for relaxation, it Sugar-Cane Ireke- (both tin and large). has economic, and social values.
Wall-Nut Awusa All Yoruba land-for relaxation.
Apọn- a fruit of wild Mango Apọn to make stew. All Yoruba land for stew. Food Source Food Varieties Where Commonly Found/Used
Oro- a popular Yoruba tree, it Appetizer/dessert. Processed seeds has edible fruit; seeds Oro fruits/Seeds. to make Apọn; a major ingredient processed to make Apọn. for make Ọgbọna soup.