Yam + Palm
Some West African food deconstruction
So this is two weeks of content :) So buckle up and see this longish piece through. You won’t regret it!
The two foods most (arguably) intrinsic to the sense of self of the forest people of West Africa and their adjacent neighbors are Yam & Palm Oil.
Why so? Because these forest areas are where these foods originated from, and it is from here that they spread around the world. For thousands of years, they have been an integral part of the diet of the people living here. This is where they were first domesticated and they are inextricably linked to the cultures found in this area.
Here is the map of the Yam belt.
Image via https://www.bioversityinternational.org/
This region produces 95% of the yam in the world today. Even though there are varieties of yams found in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, it is in Africa that the yam achieved its culinary prominence.
In West Africa, there are two main types of yams cultivated: Yam (white and yellow) and water yam. Yam dominates in most West African countries other than in Cote D’Ivoire where water yam makes up the majority of production.
There is evidence from 11000 B.C of yam cultivation in West Africa. Cultivating yam is a major undertaking and being successful at it will usually result in you being seen as a person of substance in society. It is a tremendously valuable food store that has the ability to support a large population and made it possible to have the complex stratified societies of West Africa. Due to its long history, yam is a key part of the rituals connected to such life events as marriage, thanksgivings, funerals, etc.
The word yam is derived from the African words nyami/nyana/anyinam; these words are found across many different cultures, and always have the same meaning, “to eat”, indicting the centrality of yam to the lives of the people in the sub-region. In the Americas nyami came to be known as yam in English, ñame in Spanish and igname in French. Today in Jamaica, to say “eat” in patois is “to yam”. African slaves called American sweet potatoes nyami due to their resemblance to the yams from back home. Hence, that American peculiarity of referring to the red sweet potato as yam. Please don’t do that!
Here is the map of the Palm belt today.
Palm trees grew wild in West Africa for many thousands of years and were prized for their nutrition and medicinal uses across the subregion and as far away as Egypt. The arrival of Europeans resulted in the palm oil trade going global as Europeans discovered its beneficial properties and used it as a replacement for other oils in foods and cosmetics. With colonialism, the European powers looked to expand and industrialize palm oil production in West Africa. But they run into resistance from the citizens of these countries who still found the artisanal production methods profitable and saw no reason to change.
What happened next is not surprising. Given the similar climate in Indonesia and Malaysia and given their (colonial-era) ability to commander large greenfield plots of land, palm oil production was introduced in an industrialized way in those Asian countries. Today Indonesia is the number producer of palm oil and Malaysia is also a major player. In both countries, palm oil production happens on huge monoculture plantations. However, such industrialized production is associated with negative environmental impacts such as the loss of biodiversity and has led to a clamor for more sustainable ways of farming palm oil.
Maybe we should revisit the small-scale mode of production pioneered (and still practiced) in West Africa; we may learn lessons about how to farm productively and in harmony with nature.
One final note that shows how sometimes progress is a double-edged sword. The palm oil fruit that grew on the wild palm trees in West Africa yielded a great-tasting oil that was ideal for cooking and using directly on your skin. But relatively speaking, you wouldn’t get as much oil as was required to make the industrialization of palm oil production profitable. So the usual plant research and development work was embarked on; today, the palm oil fruit typically used in monoculture plantations yields more oil BUT is it not as great tasting as the original. That is not a bad thing if the oil is being stripped of its distinctive smell and color and is being used as input into manufactured cosmetics and baked goods. But use it in your Yam Pottage and you are missing the taste and richness that were known to our ancestors.
Let’s explore some of the ways Yam and Palm Oil have been combined in West African foods from then to now; and if you want to try your hand at these dishes, be an educated consumer and look for high-quality palm oil that will enhance these great dishes. The following sample shows the culinary options common across the sub-region. It is not meant to be exhaustive and if you see anything missing, please let me know. I am always on the lookout for new dishes.
Ghana
Ɔto or Eto - a simple dish that nails the essence of the experience you get when you combine these two ingredients. To me, the quintessential pairing (but I am biased of course!).
Mpotompoto or Yam Pottage - the best comfort food ever which is guaranteed to leave you with that fragrant stomach belch. This version is by one of my favorite African food people, Ndudu.
Nigeria
Ji Mmanu or Palm Oil Yam - think mashed yam balls flavored with palm oil.
Asaro or Yam Pottage - yams with palm oil cooked into one delicious mash-up. The Yoruba and Igbo versions differ slightly but both are so good!
Roasted Yam with Palm Oil sauce - an unpretentious but delectable dish that is especially popular in Igbo land. You must roast the yam over charcoal for the ultimate taste!
Cote D’Ivoire
Yam Stew - Yams cooked with a palm oil-based stew in one pot.
N’voufou - Yams mixed with palm oil and served with eggplant sauce.
Cameroon
Sese or Porridge Yams - the ever-present yam pottage dish.
All of the above dishes assume the use of Yam proper. But here are some classic specific Water Yam recipes courtesy of Mrs. Williams Cookbook of yesteryear.
Ekpan Nkukwu (Efik) - this is grated water yam wrapped in tender (edible) cocoyam leaves and cooked with shrimps, periwinkles, crayfish, and palm oil.
Isikolo (Benin) - this is grated water yam mixed with tomatoes, onions, tomatoes, palm oil, and fish/meat (optionally) and then steamed akin to Moin-Moin.
As we sign off, do note that the palm tree fruit can be used to produced soups/stews/sauces that can be enjoyed with yam, either in its original form or as a swallow. Yam + Palm is the West African combination that has been around for thousands of years. We should be looking to keep this tradition strong as we also look to re-imagine our Yam + Palm culinary culture.
And in that forward-looking vein, check out this really cool take on Mpotompoto from EatWellAbi.
Own your food, own your culture.