Tales by Oritsegbemi Emmanuel Jakpa With the spliced rhythm of tribal Africa, with the pulse, and raw hide cloak of riddles, with the drizzling monsoon on lemon grass, with the serene river songs of the canaries, with the dim light of the oil lamps, I reflect on the times when under the tropical moon fierce...
Guinness on my mind. For I am seeking ‘things I have in common with….’ The Irish. You know, in honour of Paddy. And his day. And one of those things would be Guinness. (PS: Dark chocolate and coffee lovers will adore this sauce. More on that later) And Nigeria would be the first country outside...
The first rains have begun, jerking me out of my bed in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. Windows are hurriedly shut while thunder pounds the skies with no desire to let up. This is Nigeria. And the rains are almost always knocking at the door. I’m not opposed for the rains bring goodness, by the...
I know a place inspired by a library book my 5-year old brought home: I know a place by Karen Ackerman I know a place where vanilla and cloves meet And embrace with warm, heady scents Where citrus and nuts mingle in a pungent dance Where ginger and cardamom, black pepper and coriander come alive...
Wara, a place in Kwara state, Nigeria: 8°25’60” N; 4°27’0″ E and 305m above sea level. Awara, food. Faux cheese aka Nigerian Tofu, made from soya beans. Wara, food. From Kwara state, fresh cottage cheese/curds made from milk. And currently formerly in my possession. —–00000—– My cheese curds arrived half way between saying goodbye to neighbours moving to...
Some day soon, I’ll have a record that’s complete. I’ll know exactly when to lie in wait for mangoes, buy the best pineapples and feast on Ube, with corn. This is the start of that catalogue. The Nigerian climate, like most tropical countries consists of seasons, rainy and dry. Obviously, there are differences from north to...
Nigerian salad. An oxymoron. One I think about, sitting in the lounge and waiting for the boarding announcement for I am well and truly on my way home. Home to Nigeria. To my husband, and children and the December heat. To a Christmas feast, of gifts and presents and maybe even food, which may not be...
Here’s an update on a Nigerian classic: Stir-fried Jollof rice. And this isn’t to buck tradition – this is about how travel shapes who we are, opens up our eyes to new possibilities and redefines our boundaries. For Nigerian Jollof is typically ‘stewed’, not stir-fried or oven-baked. Right now, Nigerians the world over are planning...
Meet Cucumber, the fruit and the vegetable. At least in Nigeria, it is. On the right fork where Old Aba road meets the Aba expressway in my city of Port Harcourt, women sit on wooden stools and chairs, selling wares. These squat seats, close to the ground keeps them close to their planks full of cucumber...