Where my Tabom people at?
Who are the Tabom? These are descendants of Afro-Brazilians who reverse-migrated from Brazil to Ghana in the 19th century. The reasons for this return vary. It is possible they bought their freedom and decided to return to Africa. It is also said they were nudged to leave by the Brazilian authorities after slave rebellions. They didn’t only return to Ghana but also returned to Benin and Nigeria. As a matter of fact, most of these Afro-Brazilian returnees ended up in Lagos. Most of the African slaves taken to Brazil came from that part of the world and when given a chance they decided to go back “home”. In Nigeria, the Afro-Brazilian community is known as the Amaros or Agudas.
Back in Ghana, the Tabom were welcomed warmly by the Ga-Adangbe and ended assimilating smoothly with that community. Typical Tabom names include De Souza, Ribeiro, Nelson, Azumah, Amorin, Da Costa, Santos, De Medeiros, Nunoo, Olympio, De Silva, Maselino etc. The Tabom were highly skilled craftspeople as well as being successful traders who leveraged their connections in places such as Nigeria and Brazil.
Unfortunately, there is not as much historical record on the Tabom as there is on the Agudas in Nigeria. Not surprising given the big difference in terms of numbers. What I found fascinating about these communities is the new thinking they brought when it came to our cuisine. Introducing elements such as green peppers, olive oil, garlic and techniques such as the use of vinegar and lemon in marinating vegetables, the Afro-Brazilians were another player in the culinary fusion happening along the West African coast in those tumultuous times.
See below for some “Imoyo” recipes from Nigeria. Imoyo refers to the Afro-Brazilian riff on typical Nigerian dishes they found when they returned “home”. Recipes are via Elizabeth Jackson’s South of the Sahara cookbook from the 70s which is a finely curated look at Nigerian and other West African dishes (see below for a link to buy).
A different kind of Eba. Yummy!
I am looking for similar Tabom dishes out of Ghana. If you or someone in your network has a potential resource, let me know. We can’t let these culinary nuggets fade away! Maybe your grandma or grandpa can help us preserve these stories?
Finally, the Beyond the Return theme we see in Ghana today should be broadened to target more than the African-American Diaspora. Brazil, Cuba and other Caribbean countries have easily discernible links to Ghana, and an investment in places/rituals/services that recognize this will yield benefits in terms of global recognition and curious travelers.
Notes
“Ta bom” in Portuguese translates to “It’s OK”. As you can see, the Tabom were chill from the very beginning!
To learn more about the Tabom, Kwame Essien’s book, The Brazilian-African Diaspora in Ghana is a great resource. Hermann W. von Hesse has also written extensively on this subject.
Found out that former Chief Justice Wood is of Tabom origin.
Go buy this book if you want to learn more about West African food: https://www.abebooks.com/South-Sahara-Traditional-Cooking-Lands-West/30893305017/bd
Headline picture via Wikipedia
I am always interested in the history of the Tabom/Tabon as we are also descendants on my maternal side. My maternal grandfather was Nathan Francisco Ribeiro-Ayeh (a former Assistant Principal Secretary of Trade.) Please note the formal spelling of the name. I see you spell it as Riberio? Anyhoo... As I understand it, in Ghana, the Tabom are also referred to as Tabon. The street we live on in North Ridge is named Tabon Loop after these ancestral folk. It is noted in this article on line "Short History of the Tabom People of Ghana"." Our home at North Ridge was built by my maternal grandfather whose previous residence was also on Farrah Ave in Asylum Down where many Ribeiros owned property. I guess we are fortunate to still be living on ancestral grounds. Fast forward to present day, my sister recently did the genetic tracing and found links to Ribeiro relations in Haiti believe it or not. Anyway, unfortunately we weren't handed down any secret family recipes that I can share with you. Sorry😪😔.