Pots and Pans: The Savoury Taste of Local Pot Cooking in Nigeria

A typical local kitchen

A local kitchen in Nigeria typically consists of local pots (called Ìkòkò irin in Yorùbá language), firewood (Igi ìdáná) and pot stands (Àdògán).

The traditional cooking pot

Centuries have gone by and more cooking techniques have emerged, but many home-grown Nigerians still prefer to consume local cuisines made in traditional pots.

Purist fans of local pot cooking say the difference is in the taste from the smoke emitted by the firewood beneath the pot and straight into it while cooking.

Tyres and Wood

Local people in different parts of Nigeria specialize in manufacturing big cooking pots from waste aluminium. Àdògán are very often recycled tyre wheels, while firewood goes through the process of logging on plantations, and are traded at the local farmers' market.

Cauldron and Stick

Nigerians boast of many significant practices and distinctive values in eating habits, preparation techniques and consumption mores of using local cookware to prepare cuisines.

Àmàlà, which occupies a prime spot on the menus of local kitchens in the southwest, is best prepared in a cauldron and beat (or stirred) with a traditional wooden baton called omorọgùn.

For easier stirring

Ọmorọgùn comes in different shapes and sizes. Some prefer to use the baton that is slimmer, like a stocky spatula, while others prefer to use the baton that looks like a big stick and is comparable to a thick rod.

With the rod, it is easier to stir and smoothen the thick paste of Àmàlà.

Party jollof rice

"Party jollof rice" is unarguably the most commonly desired rice in Nigeria because of its unique taste. It is believed by many to be the ideal kind of jollof rice because of the way it is prepared: in outdoor kitchens, using a large cauldron, and cooked over firewood.

The heat and smoke that emanate from the firewood and charcoal during the cooking process means that many Nigerians only get to eat this recipe at parties where meals are cooked for large crowds. Hence, the name "party jollof rice".

Deep frying

Frying pans are an essential component of cookware since many dishes require frying. The pans are called "agbada" in Yoruba and are made up of thick metal which absorbs and conducts well enough to heat up the oil poured into it.

There is a famous proverb that says "tí agbada ò bá gbóná, àgbàdo ò lè ta" which means "if the frying pan is not hot, the corns cannot pop."

Faster cooking

The local cooking pot conducts heat very well thereby ensuring that meals are evenly cooked and prepared faster.

Mortar and pestle

Mortar and pestle are known as "odó àti omọ odó" in Yorùbá language. They are manufactured by local wood carvers and sold at local and regional markets, including roadsides within communities.

They are primarily used for the preparation of pounded yam but can also be used in the processing and grinding of pepper, millet, maize and other grains.

Physical energy

It takes a lot of physical energy to prepare pounded yam in a mortar and pestle. Nevertheless, it is still another party favourite and staple food eaten across all regions of Nigeria.

Although there are now alternatives for the preparation of pounded yam, including the use of food processor yam pounder and "poundo yam" (processed yam powder sold in supermarkets), home-grown Nigerians still prefer the original pounded yam that is prepared using wooden mortar and pestle.

The flavour of pounding

The pounding actually gives a better result because of the rigorous process the yam goes through. The way the pestle crushes and then smoothens the yam is different, enabling the release of more flavour.

The process of pounding yam also keeps the end product fresh for a longer duration than when it is prepared in a food processor.

Cooking broom for Èwédú

Èwédú soup (made from Jute Mallow leaves) is often prepared by the Yorùbás and is known for its greenish slimy appearance when cooked. It is best prepared with a cooking broom.

Although individuals now use a cooking blender as an alternative, the consistency of using a broom for Èwédú is different compared to when a blender is used. The cooking broom makes Èwédú less smooth and more viscous.

Getting the right viscosity

The cooking broom, a small bunch of broomsticks (known as Ìjábè by the Yorùbás), is used to mash the ewedu until it dissolves in the liquid and forms a light slimy soup.

With the broom, it is easier to feel the viscosity of the ewedu and determine when it is just right to be dished out.

The Local Sieve

Locally fabricated sieves used in outdoor kitchens can almost be as wide as pots. They are used for fine-grained or powdery food ingredients such as flour.

The most common type of flour for amala is the yam flour, which is also known as "amala isu". It is made from partly-cooked yam slices which are dried in a dryer. The dried yam slices are then milled directly into flour. Uneven particle sizes are sieved out of the flour, which is known as "elubo" in Yoruba language, before processing into Amala.

Bamboo sticks and zinc

The outdoor setup of bamboo sticks and zinc is a defining characteristic of a local Nigerian kitchen. It provides the ideal conditions for utilizing local cookware. It can be argued that this ambience favours the development of the food taste.