This piece is long overdue – sigh but finally, it’s here. Agbalumo is out of season but still…the words, the thought, the ideas remain evergreen! Thank you, Akay xxx I grew up in an Igbo household in Lagos. And while steeped in Igbo culture, I have always been around and influenced by Yoruba culture. I […]
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The Almost Complete Snack Guide to Lagos Island
or The Almost Complete Guide To Nigerian Snacks. There are more but I believe these form a solid foundation upon which others can be referenced. If you have soft teeth, these might not be the cookies or confections for you. They are hard. Mostly. Hard for preservation purposes? Maybe, but hard they are. Popular on […]
Snail Dodo
I’m a huge fan of textures in food – cow leg and it’s combination of crunch, jellied and meaty; snails and their rubbery crunch; tripe and its chewy, rubbery sensations – all thrill me when done right. This Snail dodo is heaven on a plate – peppered snails, chopped and combined in a saute with […]
#SundayRice: Swahili Pilau
I always wanted to learn how to make Pilau and last August, while I was in Arusha-Tanzania, I took a class and learnt to make it. To begin with: Heat up some oil in a pan with sliced onions. Cook, stirring often till the onions turn golden. Add garlic towards the end otherwise it’ll burn. […]
A Visual [Botanical?] Guide to Varieties of Agbalumo
It might surprise you – like it did I – that there are different varieties (or cultivars/ cultivated varieties?) of Agbalumo, distinct in shape, colour and size. Many factors come into play in describing fruit. On the basis of a number of observations, I dare say I can identify at least 6 varieties – here we […]
Nigerian Seasonal Produce: Ebelebo #13
‘Nigerian Seasonal Produce’ is a monthly column published towards the end of each month to celebrate Nigerian fruits & vegetables and personal stories. In this column, a writer explores a specific seasonal fruit, vegetable or leafy green assigned by the editors of Kitchen Butterfly and based on the updated Nigerian Seasonal Produce Calendar. For this […]
Version 1.3: Nigerian Seasonal Produce Calendar
So, where are we? Yeah, version 1.3 of this calendar and I’m still as excited. This version sees a few changes: Extension of seasons: Mangoes Golden Melons Additions: Avocados, because some asked why not? I’ve always seen avocados – like oranges, lemons, limes – as all year round fruits but truth be told, there are […]
A Theory: Why Agbalumo is Sweeter After the Rains
Read on. For years, I’ve heard, read, experienced sweeter agbalumos after the first rains. My most recent memory is from 2015. We’re driving in the car one day and we stop to buy some. A, my adopted daughter says: ‘There are always a few rains before ‘Agbalumo’ proper comes into season’ And I responded, ‘Hmmm, I didn’t […]
Round-up: The Nigerian Seasonal Produce Column, 2017
Welcome to 2018 – Happy New Year! Over the years, I’ve whittled down my lofty, lengthy list of goals and new years resolutions to a few things. In 2017, I have to say I did what I wanted, when I wanted. Mostly. Self-care was present..mostly… and that’s saying a lot. One of the things I’m […]