A Taste of Calabar

Book for the Month of February- A Taste of Calabar

February is synonymous to love and the say the best way to a man’s heart is his stomach.

I decided to study that act of cooking for two major reasons; one because I love to experiment with food especially food with colour. I guess that is the main reason that I love fruits and vegetables salads, they are my favourite on any buffet anyday-anytime.

Secondly, I want to cook at will; especially those soups that are typically not Yoruba’s- Edikang Ekong, Afang soup, Afia Efere and many wonderful delicacies from the southern and Niger Delta regions because I want to really give KK the very best of food.

This month I read a very small book of 80 incisive pages, which I will recommend to any woman who is very serious about improving her cooking skills because I’ve discovered from interactions with ladies that majority of them love to eat but they seriously detest cooking. Their reasons are not what I know but it might be the kind of business and professional lifestyle we live in this century where we compete with men on work fields.

I got this book on one of my trips to Cross Rivers at the culture in Calabar. Mrs. Arit Ana, the author of this book meticulously described Calabar in this book “A Taste of Calabar” may be that we give you the reason why the name CALABAR is always associated with good cooking and sumptuous meals. 

This poem was worded by Justice Otoo, it’s on page 5 of this book and it goes thus:

Calabar ooo

Calabar ooo

Calabar ooo Calabar ooo

Nyedung do mfin (I will live there today)

Ufan (my friend) canan, canan

Calabar ooo

 Nyedung do mfin (I will live there today)

My Dress is drenched in dribble

My own dribble obviously because I am

Not carrying a baby

I feel so glad to be alive as I drift in a

Trance through thousand streets

Of smell so sweet 

My eyes feast on grandma’s cooking pot

THIS IS CALABAR!!!

No wonder I have no control over my

Test buds

With this type of poem, one will definitely feel hunger without seeing food anywhere near.
 

She took us through the Nigeria’s food history, the basic staple foods of different geographical regions, food habits of different tribes, their eating patterns, also delved into small history of Calabar and the Efiks (the indigenes of Calabar) culture and food habits.

The food conversion measurement techniques in British methods and American methods were also not left out. 

On page 11 She said “Efik believe in two proverbs- That it is what a sick person like to eat that he/she will go the other world with and secondly, The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

The book didn’t just analysis local soups but also picked menus from other regions, snacks preparation were also explained in it. 

Name of local ingredients were given with their local names so one will not have problems of not getting the ingredients from the market women, clean picture of some of the prepared meals are also presented.

My most loved in the book is on page 48 where she described the preparation of Ekpang Nkukwo, this is a menu similar to Ikokore the native food of the Ijebus. I’ve prepared the meal and it turned out nice and I love it.

I know my friends abroad who love Nigerians meals or those who married to Nigerians will find a helping hand in Mrs. Ana food compilation in The Taste of Calabar.

As you get the book, please try some of the menu in it and all I can say from this end is Bonne Appétit.

International Mother Language Day

"Learning in a language students can understand isvital for them to enjoy the right to quality education" -UNESCO.

"Oruko mi Banjo Omolaraeni, mogbadun lati ma so asayan ede Yoruba ni ibi kibi ati ni igbakugba"-My name is Banjo Omolaraeni, I love to speak Yoruba Language every time and everywhere.

 

If I express my thoughts in Yoruba just like I've done above in my secondary school, I wonder how much money Mr. Olatunde, my English teacher would have fined me for speaking in vernacular. But thank God, I'm out of his classroom and not anywhere near his cane and his punishments.

 

I join millions of natives everywhere around the world to speak their mothers' language today as we mark the International Mother Language Day which was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999.

 

 

It's not uncommon nowaday to see young parents who do not speak their mother langauges to their children due to their civilization claims, this is very sad because if a race looses its language, the tendencies of such race going into extinction is very high.

 

According to Bashoru Dele Momodu the best language in can ever pray is in Yoruba language.

 

So my Hausa, Ndigbo, Ishekiri, Ijaw, Kanuri, Tiv, Urhorobo, Bini brothers and sisters and all other tribes in Nigeria,  let's switch our English langauge  today for our beautiful mothers' langauges.

 

Happy Mother Language day.

 

O dabo, O digba Kanna!

Au Revoir, the Ogbuefi of the Universe

Late Amadi Ogbonna, former group entertainment editor of Vanguard Newspaper

Forever will this charming smile on your face be in my memory; you were a premium brand in an outstanding small package. Mr. Amadin this was my usual way of calling your name, to others you were simply Amadi Ogbonna.

 

 On my birthday November 27 in 2005, that day was the first time I met you, you came in to my office in your usually bubbling way, you exchanged pleasantries with my other colleagues who were all hailing you name. You finally came to me and said "damsel won't you say Hi to your darling you're seeing for the first time" in your voice you told me your name "I'm Amadi Ogbonnaya, the Guru". There and there you became my friend, you ordered snacks and drinks for me on my day.

 

 You became my mentor and a big brother, you saw the talent that was hidden in me and you encouraged me to pursue the dream I never saw. I can still remember when you called me and said "Bibi, why don't you go to Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and register for the their profession exams, I'm very sure you will do well" I had my doubts but because I have taken you as a confidant, mentor and a wonderful brother, I weighed the possibilities and keyed into the vision, boss today it has paid off.

Awin

Strange but many of its eaters do not know is English name........

Shelled Tamarind

Many people love this sweet fruit but the irony is that many of its eaters like me do not know is English name.

I have asked many people what the English name is and many people have also asked me, but our answers remain the same at all time "funny enough you know I don't the English name".

Trust me, now I have a brief history about our favorite fruit "Awin".

Un-shelled Tamarind

 Dialium indum, the velvet tamarind, is a tall,tropical fruit bearing tree. It is found to grow in dense savannah forests, shadowy canyons and gallery forests and it can be found in countries like senegal, Nigeria and Ghana.

Velvet tamarind  s knowin as Yoyi, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Nigeria where it is known as Awin in Yoruba, Icheku in Igbo and Tsamiyar kurm in Hausa.

The flavor of the fruit is similar to tamarind, where it derives its English name. So now that you know the name, when next you're asked just go ahead, feel cool and say "Tamarind"

<><>
<><>

Tamarind Tree