Food of the Igbo People

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Alex Wu Humanities-6 2/8/14 Food of the Igbo People Staples Yam is the most important crop in the Igbo culture, with specific gods dedicated to the one crop, such as Njoku Ji, the yam god. Annual rituals are held in order to have a good crop year, and specific children are dedicated to the serving of Njoku Ji. The New Yam Festival (Iwaji in Igbo) is held for the harvesting of the yam and symbolizes the end of a harvest and a beginning of a new crop cycle. In the ceremony, the oldest man in the village (or the king of the village) eats the very first yam after the harvest. The man will also offer the yams to the gods and ancestor as gratuity for letting the harvest become possible. The yams being sacrificed will appear on the plate of the ancestors in their heaven. The amount of yams you have is also taken to be a sign of wealth and success. Yams are eaten in porridge, in soup, and in a thick paste of palm wine and yam known as eto. Cassava, maize, and plantains are all staples of their diet as well and provide a constant source of food rich in carbohydrates. Soups are a common meal as well, served with a vegetable like okra and meat, like fish, goat, or chicken. Goat is the main meat of the Igbo. Spices such as pepper and garlic are added in order to give the soup more flavors, but they are not that common. Onions and palm oil are common ingredients in most Igbo soups, and okra is added for its texture as well as the unique flavor it contains. Palm wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the Igbo culture. Palm wine is made from the sap of various palm trees, such as the date palm or coconut palm. After the trees are tapped, the unfermented sap called neera is left in a pot. It usually begins fermenting right after collection because of yeasts in the air. After sitting for 2 hours, the palm wine is ready to be drunk, having 4% alcohol content. The

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