Yoruba cuisine

Yoruba cuisine is the numerous and diverse foods of the Yoruba people of Yorubaland (Yoruba native regions of Nigeria).^[1] Some notable Yoruba food includes Ọ̀fadà, Àsáró, Mọ́í Mọ́í, Ẹ̀gúsí soup, Àbùlà, Àkàrà, Ilá Alásèpọ̀, and Ẹ̀fọ́ rírò with Òkèlè.

Yoruba food general list

Some Yoruba dishes:^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

1. Akara
2. Asun
3. Ofada
4. Abula
5. Asaro
6. Ekuru/Ofuloju
7. Ekusu/Sapala
8. Efo riro
9. Boli
10. Gizdodo
11. Ikokore/Ifokore
12. Adalu
13. Moimoi/Olele
14. Iresi Eyin
15. Iresi ati obe ata dindin
16. Ayamase
17. Ewagoyin
18. Ewedu
19. Shoko
20. Okele (Iyan, Eba, Lafun, Amala/Oka, Fufu, Pupuru etc.)
21. Ila alasepo
22. Dodoikire
23 Egbo ati Ewa
24. Gbure oloboro
25. Kokoro
26. Guguru ati epa
27. Adun
28. Mosa
29. Jollof
30. Egusi
31. Ipekere
32. Dun Dun Oniyeri
33. Wara
34. Efo Tete
35. Sisi pelebe
36. Fried rice(Iresi dindin)
37. Baba dudu
38. Obe iru
39. Dodo
40. Eko
41. Ogi
42. Apon
43. Egusi ijebu
44. Gurundi
45. Agege bread
46. Iresi agbon
47. Gure
48. Obe eja dindin
49. Marugbo ati pupuru
50. Ebiropo
51. Isu ati eyin
52. Dundun
53. Buka stew
54. Jollof spag
55. Agbado sisun
56. Igbin dindin
57. Zobo
58. Ogi baba
59. Gbegiri
60. Robo
61. Emu
62. Ila ati obe dindin
63. garri
64. Ogbolo/oro
65. Isu ati obe dindin
66. Egg sauce
67. puff puff
68. Chapman
69. buns
70. Agbado ati agbon
71. Eyin Awo
72. Moinmoin elepo
73. Akara elepo
74. Isun sisun
75. Akara Egusi
76. Oka baba
77. Tinko
78. Esunsun
79. Eekana gowon
80. Ewedu Elegusi
81. Ewa Pakure
82. Efo Elegusi
83. Balewa
84. Bugan
85. Alapa / Jogi
86. Ishapa
87. Kundi
88. Ojojo
89. Beske / Awara
90. Abari
91. Pafun
92. Ila ati Obe ata
93. Puff Puff
94. Igbin Pelu Obe ata
95. Anama/Odukun
96. Ofada sauce
97. Obe adiye
98. Ilasa
99. Akara Kengbe
98. Akara Koko
99. Esuru
100. Eko Ada
101. Jaloke/jaaloke
102. Lapata / ipakere
103. Obe ila funfun
104. Abula
105. Luru
106. Orunla
107. Imoyo
108. Efo ( Soko, gbagba, Ebolo, Yanrin, Odu, Worowo, Tete, Gure, Ajefawo, Iyanaipaja)
109. Moi Moi Elemi Meji
110. Yoyo
111. Obe Eyin

Introduced dishes

Food with Foreign roots now also made with distinct Yoruba style in Yorubaland. This is different from foreign food found in Yoruba regions made as it is as it would in its native homelands.

Yoruba style:

Small chops ( Yoruba style Samosa and Spring rolls)
Meat pie/ Mince pie
Egg roll
Samosa
Doughnuts
Sausage rolls
Fish roll
Fish pie
Spring roll
Chicken pie
Shawarma
Scotch egg
Different Pastries and cakes
Salads + Coleslaws
Stir fried noodles
Stir fried spaghetti

Breakfast

Yoruba breakfast consists of a myriad of choice. Some food are more common for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner but it is also flexible to eat those meals at other times of the day as well if preferred. Typically breakfast can be different types of rice dishes, or Soups (obe) with "swallow" (Okele).Foods like Akara and Moi Moi can also be had. Some common Yoruba breakfasts include:

Akara and Bugan (bread) with tea: Akara is a fried bean cake, it can be eaten alongsides bread with tea sometimes included in the meal
Ogi with Moi Moi : Ogi is a custard like dish, Moi Moi is a steamed bean pudding that.
Ofada : A rice dish made with native spotted rice eaten with either Ayamase sauce or Ofada sauce with meat or fish and/or Egg. Dodo (Fried plantains) can be added.
Iresi ati Obe ata: Rice and a type of Tomato-Pepper spiced Stew eaten alongside meat (beef, goat meat, chicken, turkey), Egg or Fish.
Ila-alasepo ati Eba : An okro soup dish with Eba (a cassava garri based Okele)
Isu ati Eyin din din: Yam and Egg Sauce.

Lunch

Lunch has a diverse range of dishes just like Breakfast. Here are some examples.

Some popular Lunch menu include:

Obe Egusi and Iyan : Egusi soup and pounded yam with assorted meat (Eran) or fish.
Ewagoyin and agege bread : A spiced mashed beans with agoyin sauce with agege bread
Jollof : Jollof rice with meat, fish, egg and salad or coleslaw with moi moi and dodo (Fried plantains).
Fried rice : A local style fried rice with the same side options as the above
Asaro : Yam porridge

Dinner

Like the above previous Meals of the day, dinner is filled with variety of choices. Some examples of popular dinner meals include:

Abula (Ewedu, Gbegiri, obe ata and Amala with meat and or fish): A mixed soup dish with different sauces and Amala
Efo riro with Iyan, Eba or Fufu : A spiced vegetable soup with proteins and Okele of choice
Obe Apon and Fufu: A nutty draw soup with Fufu (or any okele of choice)
Iresi Eyin : A spiced palm oil rice

Snacks

Some Yoruba snacks and side dishes include:

Kokoro: A fried crunchy snack made from corn meal
Dodo ikire : A "candied" oiled and spiced mashed dodo snack
Asun : A spiced Yoruba grilled/Smoked meat
Gurundi : Baked Coconut snack
Shukshuk : coconut candy
Sisi Pelebe : Candied pounded groundnut candy
Coconut candy, pan fried
Coconut flakes
Coconut Clusters : Sugary Coconut candy
Ipekere : Plantain Chips
Beske : Fried Soymilk curds
Awara : milk curds
Chin Chin flakes / Chin chin regular / Chin Chin 'macaroni' - fried or baked snack made with flour, sugar, egg, flavoring and so on
Candied peanuts, pan cooked
Balewa : a hard candy sweet
Eekana Gowon : A candy
Aadun
Dundn: Fried yams
Dundun oniyeri/ Yamarita : An egg batter coated deep fried yam
Meat Pies
Rolls
"Small chops" platter

Okele

Okele are starchy balls eaten in Yorubaland. They are what is referred to as "swallows", though swallow isn't a translation of Okele. They don't have to be swallowed however or chewed as it is a preference. Okele include: Fufu, Eba, Amala, Iyan, Lafun, Semo, amongst others.

Soups

Soups are a staple of Yoruba culture. Some of these Soups are what will be considered stews in the English language due to texture but are categorised as Soups due to it being eaten with okele. Soups are eaten with okele. Soups are called Obe. Some Soups Include Egusi, Eforiro,Efo (the varieties), Ewedu, Gbegiri, Marugbo, Apon, Ila, Ila- alasepo, Ilasa.

Stews/Sauces

Yoruba Cuisine have a rich variety of stews. The stews are mainly eaten with rice dishes. They can also be eaten with yam,potatoes,bread or beans dishes. These stews are usually made with a tomato-pepper variants and onion base with spices including garlic, ginger, bayleaf, iru and so on, in a unique frying technique in groundnut oil/peanut oil (òróró) or Palm oil (Epo /Epo pupa). Stew in Yoruba is generally called Obe-ata, but its also specifically a kind of common white rice stew. Some Stews include: Ọbẹ̀ ata, Ọbẹ̀ ata díndín, Buka stew, Ọ̀fadà sauce, Ayamaṣe, Àgànyìn sauce, Ọbẹ̀ irú, Ọbẹ̀ Adìyẹ, Ọbẹ̀ Ẹja tútù, Ọbẹ̀ Ìmóyò.

Drinks

Popular drinks in Yorubaland are Zobo (an hibiscus drink), Kunu, Ògùrọ̀ and Ẹmu (Palm wine). Tea, Coffee and Malt drinks are also enjoyed.

References

^ Walubengo, Peris (2022-09-21). "Top 10 Yoruba foods, their names, pictures, and ingredients". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
^ Walubengo, Peris (2022-09-21). "Top 10 Yoruba foods, their names, pictures, and ingredients". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
^ "YORUBA FOOD COLLECTION - Sumptuous Meals of the Yoruba Culture you must try! - Discover Yoruba". 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
^ "10 Yoruba Most Famous Foods - OneTouch.ng". onetouch.ng. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
^ ThingsToKnow (2023-10-01). "Yoruba Foods: 10 Yoruba Foods and Their Ingredients". Things To Know. Retrieved 2023-12-19.

[1] Walubengo, Peris (2022-09-21). "Top 10 Yoruba foods, their names, pictures, and ingredients". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2024-04-27.

[2] Walubengo, Peris (2022-09-21). "Top 10 Yoruba foods, their names, pictures, and ingredients". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2023-12-19.

[3] "YORUBA FOOD COLLECTION - Sumptuous Meals of the Yoruba Culture you must try! - Discover Yoruba". 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-12-19.

[4] "10 Yoruba Most Famous Foods - OneTouch.ng". onetouch.ng. Retrieved 2023-12-19.

[5] ThingsToKnow (2023-10-01). "Yoruba Foods: 10 Yoruba Foods and Their Ingredients". Things To Know. Retrieved 2023-12-19.

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