I am an Igbo girl, and when I think about the food that reminds me of my roots, two dishes always come to mind first:, that's Abacha (African Salad) and (Roasted yam). One takes me back to family gatherings, and the other takes me back to something much simpler, the smell of yam roasting over open fire on an ordinary evening.
Abacha (African Salad)
Abacha is made from dried, shredded cassava, and it is one of those dishes you will find at almost every Igbo celebration , weddings, burials, house warmings, you name it. Growing up, I remember watching the older women in my family soak the cassava strips, mix in the ugba (fermented oil bean seed), and season everything with palm oil, potash (akanwu), and a good amount of pepper. The smell alone would pull everyone toward the kitchen.What you need to prepare it
Dried abacha (shredded cassava)
Ugba (fermented oil bean seed)
Red palm oil, locust bean and Maggi
Potash (akanwu), dissolved in a little water
crayfish, dry pepper and nutmeg
Sliced onions and salt is also needed.
Utazi leaf sliced
Garden eggs or garden egg leaves (optional)
Boiled fish, meat, or ponmo (optional, for extra flavor)
How to make it
Soak the abacha in warm water for a few minutes until soft, then drain well.
Warm the palm oil gently and mix in the dissolved potash, this is what gives the sauce its thick, orange-red texture.
Add ground crayfish, pepper, and salt to the oil mixture, and stir until smooth.
Pour the sauce over the abacha and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the ugba, sliced onions, and utazi leaves.
Top with your boiled fish, meat, or ponmo, and garden eggs on the side.
Serve at room temperature, abacha is never eaten hot.
(Roasted Yam)
Roasted yam is not just an everyday dish for us, it is at the heart of one of the biggest celebrations in Igbo land: the New Yam Festival. Every new harvesting season, the community comes together in the village square to celebrate. The famous farmers proudly bring out their finest tubers of yam, and right there, in front of everyone, the yams are roasted. Ugba, red palm oil, potash, and the rest are brought out to prepare the sauce, and the whole village eats together. It is always a great celebration, a way of thanking the land and the ancestors for a good harvest, and a reminder of how much yam means to who we are as a people.
Outside of the festival, roasted yam still carries that same warmth on quieter, ordinary days. There is something about the smell of yam roasting slowly over firewood that instantly brings back those childhood evenings.
What you need to prepare it
Fresh yam, cut into thick fingers (skin still on)
Firewood or charcoal fire (or an oven as a substitute)
Red palm oil
Ground pepper
Ground crayfish (optional)
Salt to taste
How to make it
Place the yam fingers directly over the fire, turning occasionally so they roast evenly on all sides.
Roast until the inside is soft and the outside has that slightly charred, smoky skin.
Peel off the burnt skin once cooled slightly.
Mix palm oil with ground pepper, crayfish, and salt to make a simple dip.
Serve the roasted yam hot, straight into the palm oil sauce.
Why These Dishes Matter to Me
Abacha reminds me that food is at the center of every Igbo celebration, it is how we gather, how we welcome people, how we mark important moments. Roasted yam reminds me of the New Yam Festival, of farmers proudly showing off their harvest in the village square, and of a whole community eating together in gratitude. Together, these two dishes capture both sides of what it means to come from an Igbo home: the big, shared celebrations, and the quiet warmth of home.
Thanks for this contest, it has given me the privilege to share the dishes that reminds me of my root.
@marivic10
Note: The image is sourced from https://www.facebook.com/100070375830579/posts/561904739498716/?app=fbl
