In the land of the Efik-Ibibio, from a time beyond human memory, a sacred gift resides. That gift is the gift of cooking. It is the pride of the people, the envy of other ethnic groups most of whom have adopted delicacies that originated from the kitchen of this special people. Traditional events of the Efik-Ibibio are usually colourful. They offer the people an opportunity to display their ceremonial foods. Today, we would be reviewing five ceremonial delicacies of the people.
Ekpang Nkukwo
This cocoyam porridge is a luxury dish that will melt the heart of most people of Efik-Ibibio origin. The time and the quantity of ingredients devoted to the preparation of this food stamps it a special dish. Ekpang nkukwo parades ingredients like cocoyam, water yam, cocoyam leaves, periwinkles, dry fish, crayfish, palm oil, and pepper. This food is prepared for traditional weddings, baby christening, and other cultural festivals.
Afia Efere
This kingly delicacy is the Efik-Ibibio version of white soup. It is the toast of traditional ceremonies. Even though there are two major types of afia efere– afia efere ebot (goat meat afia efere) and afia efere unen (chicken afia efere) -afia efere ebot is commonly served at traditional events. Aiden fruits, calabash nutmeg, and negro pepper are some of the native spices for preparing this soup. It is best served with pounded yam.
Jollof Rice
This food is generally a must have for all events in Nigeria. Everything about ceremonial jollof rice, from the aroma, presentation, and taste is special. In addition to chicken, fish, or beef, of course, moi moi and salad are some of its accompaniments.
Afang Soup
This is another ceremonial special. This soup is made with shredded afang leaves and water leaves. This soup is as nutritious as it is medicinal. Afang soup gets its thickness from the bulk of vegetables used in preparing it.
Edikang Ikong
Last but not least is the Efik-Ibibio blood tonic. For traditional weddings, this soup offers comprehensive assurance to the in-law that their wife-to-be knows about food and she would feed their son fat. Edikang ikong is prepared with a combination of pumpkin and water leaves, assorted sea food, fish, and meat. This soup is best served with fufu or eba.
Sources
Needlelines Blog
Nigeria Food Tv
Featured image source: hungryNG – Nairaland Forum