Wednesday, July 17, 2024

 RETRACING OUR ANCIENT DELICACIES by Mkpisi. 


We fear that our language will disappear because our Children are more vested in living in Borrowed garb and customs, they emulate westerners,live the life of Ogbasadim and prefer to boast "This is my life,i live it the way i want" ,which i will say mechie gi onu ,that life is not yours, because if it is ,you should've started catering for self as infant and not after your parents have wasted the years they would've enjoyed life , they wasted same training you and at a time you should show appreciation,you start Nzuzu all in the name of maturity,if you want to be free from your parents hold, simply calculate how much they invested on you and pay it back to them once and in pounds sterling,then you have the freedom to zuzukpuo ofia.


 But our Youths are neglecting Njíri malu Ndigbo and it's cooking us toward end of Generation with taunted history. 


I was wondering how our delicious delicacies Prepared by our Grand mother's, abandoned by our generation because we suddenly took a bite on Junk foods which we raises our Kids with, including INDOMIE and other hazardous junk foods ,and it took away our longevity same way Religious misunderstanding caged us along DENOMINATIONAL Lane. 


Where are our Adu ? Please most of the food i will mention doesn't have Botanical name or English name , as it is exclusive our home grown and with Igbo ownership of the franchise we are loosing to ogbaru ofuru . 


Adu is a pride and price of Onye igbo and i am writing from ANAMBARA prism,so don't Judge me harshly.


Where can one find óna still planted in Farms as Crop ?.


How about Ji Abi or Ji Abana , which have more nutrients than ógwu ndi supplements from China and even Usa? 


Can i ask about Akidi the native version of Beans ? that one is Blood builder and blood purifier, but it has gone with the wind. 


Who among our wives can prepare Aniga ? the delicacy we are replacing with Shawarma,i don't think there is one ,if there is ,ejim onye ahu ugwo Agidi jellof. 


How about that great Yam known as Gbafulu chuba ? which is mostly enjoyed with Red oil garnished with óse Ndu with a little Ntazi leaf to take the taste to utopian height ? 


Then remember íkpó óka , a Corn fabricate that you eat one and it last you down till night. Sometime they prepare it with Aku mkpu (Flying ants that gather after rain fall , when the land was holy).


Nri Óka eselu with distinction have gone just like Erere which they call Moi Moi today,but they are not same. Erere is prepared with Komkom Milk or Mkpó Tomato and óna atówa ísi ,unlike Moi Moi eji condiments mebisia ,this days they even tie moimoi with Foil ,ana ekesasi Cancer.


Ukpa nut known as Walnut in English,which is super medicinal, is almost extinct ,one nut of Ukpa contain over 2 million antibiotics, which once you are eating it , there is no communicable disease that will afflict you.


Aribó or arubó is another forgotten feed, only regends know it or should i say anybody born without spoon ,not now they say Born with Golden spoon 🥄,we were born without spoon and we saw the real world, tasted undiluted home grown, enjoyed egwu ónwa or moonlighting and grow without knowing the difference between private part between boy or girl, only that we used them to Wee and not now Gen Z use it for fornication.


Then you have one Shoe and maybe two JUMPER SHIRT maka ije Uka and About two akwa eji ano na unó.


Nobody plants Anyú again, a darling combination for yam eating and only Ladies that grown at the feet of Grand mothers make it right. 


Anyi aka na ata Home grown okwúrú Ezi which they call POPO or Paw paw with Botanical name of Papaya ?. 

Now we ate fertilized version and it's just Paw paw and not okwuru ezi.


Óroma is also extinct by half,what we have now is Orange akpuru with fertilizer.


We have stopped eating organic Ogede (Banana) and Native grown Ojoko (plantain). You can't find them again,we eat the ones grown at Edo State at OFOSU and God help us if the planting is Chemically induced.


This generation do not met the most served fresh soup , which is synonymous with Family without Riches,we call it Ofe Ndeleakpi,which is an instant prepared with Isha (crayfish) no Aja Azu (Particles or sand of Fish which is affordable to Poor Family) Nmanu and Óse Ndu with obele nnu .


This generation did not see utara ede nor ever eat agbakwo or some people call it Ede eko or Indian cocoa yam, that's something that replaces multivitamin.


i wonder if any of this generation know the Delicacy called Agbala oti ? a Pepperish grounded eatery used as cola or snacks..


Let me not talk about UKWA which is Enyi on it's own, nri ndi Ógaranya,in any occasion Ukwa creates the boundary between the Rich, well to do and ndi ejirim guzue ,the sharer of foods will show you your Class by the distribution of the elusive but Rich Ukwa. If you are not worthy to have it ,the response is Always ógwugo , while you see it move around to people with class,iwe we gi je kpata ego.


We no longer care about some ancient Land demarcations,which Mkpódu is the ultimate beacon, once you see Mkpódu on any land ,you know it's a boundary which Oyibo call beacon and no living being will shift any ancient land mark established with Mkpódu.We don't even need Survey back then just bring a witness and show them the boundaries and it's forever marked.


Our Gen Z kids do not know what is nmimi fruit,as they have disconnect with culture and tradition of Ndi Nna anyi fa ,but got initiated into the ancestral delicacies of the West including eating Cancer promoting Junk foods.


We skipped Nkwu Enu and dumped Ngwo known as PALM WINE drink which bested all Foreign chemicalized drinks,but we choose to buy expensive sicknesses hiding under 21 Years,35 Years and even 70 Years old Drink as if any of you know the manufacturing plant ,talkless of the Year it was produced,but because they hyped the price to high heaven,we believe it's nmanya Ndi Ógaranya. Whereas we are giving our Kidney reason to over work self and pack up faster than necessary.


Back in the days ,we have Útara Akpu (Fufu) which we labeled 24 hours,as it will carry you from morning till dawn,now they produce and process FUFU ,and it's odourless....UTARA must have that smell that makes it unique, not this present Chemically pounded whatever. After eating Utara and your hand is not smelling,just know you are Garri and not Akpu.


Back in the days ,when you sale your land,the only document recommended is igbu Ewu ani,which if you ever eye that Land after the shedding of that Goat blood ,woe will betide you and your generation.


it's not late to start replanting our ancestral trees that are going into extinct,such as Óji (IROKO) ,óji (Cola nut), Anunebe,ótósi,ógirisi,Útazi and many others.


I simply appeal to Igbo State schools, Government, Institutions and Clubs to start encouraging planting most of the above species that are in danger.


Let me thank God for Ndi Enugwu for preserving Ókpa Ntucha ENUGWU even though the quality have been watered down, but we still find Solace in the austere delicacy.


i remain Mkpisi Ndi Egede, Voice of the gods,Nwa Chukwu Ku na aka na onwu agaghi egbunwu ya, Akua Aka egenti Ndi Egede, NEMESIS to rotten politicians.


1 comment: