My Native Pantry

Achicha or Echicha, over to you igbo tribe

The best description in English for this native food home to Igbo tribe in Nigeria, particularly Enugu people is dried cocoyam flakes.

How is Achicha/ Echicha made?

Cocoyam is harvested, cooked, peeled, cut into bits and then dried under the sun. Don’t be carried away, the process is not as easy as it is written. Processing dried cocoyam flakes, is a labour of love. Cooking take hours and sun drying can take days.

After it is dried, you can then grind it into granules and store for your use. On the day you are to cook into a dish as seen below -measure the quantity needed, wash and steam (for a short time, avoid making it soggy, you will regret it).
Last is to stir fry in pepper, onion, green vegetable, and oil bean.

This meal is best eaten when you crave for it, it’s not a meal for every other day.

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Making Okpa is intentional cooking, if do any how, you eat either a rock or scoop it into your mouth.
Okpa says, you focus and fulfill all the steps.
This is not jollof rice where you can shut your eyes and do as you want and get away with it

Massage the Bambara flour with the palm is the first step before pouring in your hot water one at a time till a perfect consistency is achieved.

This helps to bind the oil and the flour together

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Has anyone noticed that Okpa is gradually becoming more available in Lagos state compared to five years ago ?

We are witnessing more women hawk this local food in Lagos state but the question for me is - have you bought Okpa that tasted so good like you bought it in the east? For me, I haven’t and I really hold off in patronizing cooked Okpa in Lagos. I do not trust Okpa in the hands of these women but take me to the east- Nsukka, Abakpa, Old park and I can close my eyes to buy Okpa.

The truth is Okpa is that food that requires less in ingredients but expertise in making.
You only need fresh pepper, salt and pepper to make Okpa but you need experience that has been tried and tasted to make the perfect Okpa that is not hard or soft.
Even, when you are experienced at it, you need grace to make that perfect Okpa.

Do you buy Okpa from road sellers in Lagos ?.