Igbo Food Culture
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The Igbo culture revolves almost entirely are food production and consumption.
Igbo cookery serves to fill necessary nutritional value and show signs of respect.
Food is one of the first things presented in a formal greeting between friends, visitors, and
family.
Offering drinks, food, and meat are not regarded nearly as important as the offering of the
kola-nut
It is a sign of disrespect for a guest to refuse food- otherwise the impression is that they have
not had food in a long time. However, they are not expected to finish all the food and leave
morsels of it behind.
The Eldest man eats first when food is shared at a home or workplace. The youngest man
usually serves the wine to the eldest, or most titled man.
After formalities are finished, the remaining men are equals in being served.
Yams tend to be the main source of food, stable enough to support the entire region on this
single crop; the yam could be cut, boiled, smoked, barbequed, fried, or grilled.
With the economy depending on yam production, this tradition is considered mandatory for
good yam production.
The first yam is always eaten by the eldest tribe member.
In the Igbo culture, soups and meats are a very good nutritional meal.
They are usually served with a side of yams are pounded or joloff rice.
They are made with palm oils.
The key component to soups and stews are chicken, cow, goat, turkey, dry fish, or stock fish.
Food production and consumption occupy a very important place in Igbo culture. Igbo people
like to come together over a common love of good food despite the odds that threaten to unite or
divide them.
Jollof rice and fried rice are among the most widely eaten Nigerian foods. They are accepted by
almost every Nigerian both at home and in the Diaspora. The process of making these recipes is
a bit complicated but gets easier with practice. After the British colonization, Nigerians were
open to trying new Western Foods and, in the process, local rice was replaced with par-boiled
rice.
Kola Nut
The Kola Nut is central to Nigeria, and is representative of a pre-colonial a unifying image.
Journeying from the eastern part of the country through the north to the southern and western
parts, one unforgettable experience that the visitor takes away with him is the tradition of kola
nut presentation.
The Kola-nut ceremony is when a kola-nut is broken as part of a prayer that is supposed to take
place at the start of a celebration. Breaking the kola-nut is supposed to bring good health and
protection from one’s enemies. The person who breaks the kola-nut is usually the most respected
person in attendance, and the breaking of the nut symbolizes the celebration.
At any Igbo function, the titled man or a village head (or the oldest man) is presented with kolanuts, which play a very important social and ritual role in the Igbo culture. The kola-nuts are the
highest symbol of Igbo hospitality. Whenever a kola-nut appears in a gathering, the matter to be
discussed at that particular time is regarded as very dynamic. In Igbo culture, the offering of
drinks, food and meat is not regarded as important as the offering of kola-nuts. When an
important guest visits the community, kola-nuts are brought out and handed to the community
head or eldest person. The presentation of kola-nuts is a privilege reserved exclusively for the
men. This privilege is denied to women for cultural reasons. When the kola-nut is presented to a
guest, it is passed around until finally it comes back to the host. The elder who is present at the
ceremony holds the kola-nut up and offers a libation to the ancestors. Thus, such prayers are said
often in Igbo ceremonial gatherings. The gods of the ancestors and all the friendly spirits are
summoned together and offered the kola-nuts. But in today’s society, most elders do not channel
their prayers to their ancestors and good spirits but to God Almighty in Heaven, as they believe
that they do not worship their ancestors. The elder demands good health for the good people and
ill health for their enemies and peace for all. This symbol of Igbo hospitality has the following
three steps:
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Presentation of the kola-nuts;
Blessing and breaking of the kola-nuts;
Distribution and eating of the kola-nuts.
Women do not traditionally break kola nut though they can cultivate, break and eat them for their
own private consumption. In the home, a woman presents to the male member of the family
usually the husband to bless the Kola Nut. The husband uses the Kola Nut to welcome the guests
into the home. The woman may make other gestures symbolic of welcome such as the
presentation of water, food and or present the chalk paste accordingly. In the absence of a male
in the household, any available man will be called upon to break the Kola.