ELUBO OR YAM POWDER

Elubo or Yam Powder

Elubo or Yam powder is a food substance that is used in preparing Amala and it is a kind of food from Oyo state, south west of Nigeria. Amala is eaten with so many different types of soup but the favourite soup with which it is eaten a lot is called Gbegiri and Ewedu soup. Gbegiri is a soup made from the red beans while Ewedu is a draw soup made from Ooyo leaves. 

These two soups are combined together to eat Amala which is a popular food in Yoruba land. Yam powder substance is made from the peels of yam which are dry in the sun very well before grinding it at the miller to achieve the eventual powdery substance. 

Amala is made by putting water on the fire to get well boiled. After, the yam powder is added and stirred till thickened and blend together very well to have well blended Amala without lumps. Amala is not only eaten by the Yoruba people alone today, it has become a cuisine accepted both locally and internationally. Although, Amala is seen as a solid food, but it is a kind of food which can be eaten at any time of the day because it digests very easily in the body. 

Amala is a delicacy if it is eaten with bean and draw soup together combined with a lot of bush meat to go with it! As a matter of fact, it is always a wonderful eating experience. There are two types of Yam powder used in making Amala. 

The first one is called Elubo Lafun and it is whitish in colour. It is from Abeokuta while the second one is called Elubo Isu from Oyo state which is brownish in colour. The two are very good, it just a matter of choice and preference. 

A visit to so many Yoruba local food canteens around will show that Amala is a food sought after as we see people patronizing to eat either the white Amala or the brown one. As a full fledged Yoruba man myself, I love eating Amala too any day or any time because it is a delicacy.

By Olalekan Oduntan

Copright: © 2015