NIGERIAN FOOD RECIPES : OFE AKWU

There is no better time to choose “Tomato Jos” as a nickname than now. It may not be the "sexiest"of names but the status of Tomato as a precious vegetable in the Nigerian market today would make you have a rethink.

 Fresh tomato is scarce and very expensive. Being the largest producer of tomatoes in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has not experienced this level of fresh tomato scarcity in recent times. This situation has been blamed on Dangote, who they said bought all the fresh tomatoes for his factory, some blame President Buhari, who must have hijacked all the tomatoes, others blame it on “Tomato Ebola”….hian

The truth is that something caused the scarcity and it’s the pest Tuta abosoluta.

Tuta abosoluta is also known by the common name tomato leafminer, has been spreading around the world from South America where it was first discovered. It has the ability to destroy a whole farm within 48 hours and it is also very difficult to control as it has high mutation capacity with the ability to develop resistance to insecticides.

According to “This Day Live”, around this time last year, farmers in some parts of Nigeria recorded loses as a result of same pest attack but the consequences wasn’t reflected in the price of the commodity because the demand for the crop wasn’t as high as now.

If the Government of Nigeria does not treat this as a matter of urgency, it can take years to recover from the attack. It took Sudan about three years to recover from a similar attack in 2010.

Although we definitely miss our Tomato stew, it’s time to try something new. Boiled rice served with Ofe Akwu (banga stew) ……yum

Ofe akwu although made from palm fruit is a different version of the Banga soup enjoyed by the Delta people. Ofe akwu is a typical Igbo dish.

The major ingredient is the Sludge- like concentrate extracted from palm fruits. Although canned “palmnut cream” can be found in the market. Cooking with fresh ingredients is best. The process is simple.

Some of the health benefits of palm oil include its ability to improve energy levels, improve vision, prevent cancer, boost the immune system, help to prevent premature aging and protect against heart diseases.

I love this recipe by ChiChi’s cuisine.

Click the link below to learn more

HOW TO MAKE OFE AKWU