We all have favorite foods, but not everyone enjoys cooking them. What’s that one meal you love to prepare? Share the dish, your experience, and highlight one power ingredient that makes it special. Recipes are welcome!
Hello #ladiesofhives, welcome to 2026 once again and to my blog. I trust you all found time to ease off the stress of the new year's first week.
When it comes to food, one casual food that I like preparing is the African Salad. African Salad is well known in the Eastern part of Nigeria. It can be eaten as casual food and also prepared during special events, such as traditional weddings (Igba Nkwu). African Salad is a specially prepared meal, and not everyone understands the techniques of making it, nor even enjoys making it. This is because any mistake in preparing the sauce will spoil the whole process.
A simple analysis of the required ingredients and the recipe includes:
Ingredients
1 cup of bean flakes (Ugba)
2 Onions
2 cubes of Maggi
1 medium bowl of Cassava flakes
1 shot of potash(Akanwu)
1 tomatoe cup of palm oil
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons of black pepper
2 teaspoons of Ehuru
1 bunch of garden egg leaves and garden eggs
1 smoked fish/ 4pieces of sizable pomo/pieces of Stock fish.
Recipe
Pour the oil in a bowl, add the potash to thicken, stir for a few minutes, once the colour changes to yellow, add the crayfish, ehuru, dried pepper, and stir. Then, remove the soaked cassava flakes from the water, sieve, and pour them into the oil mixture. Add more crayfish if needed, salt, maggi and stir again. Then serve with stockfish, smoked fish, or Pomo.
I am always excited to make this food because for me, it is presenting my culture on a plate. It could be served casually on the streets, during special occasions, and even in palaces during chieftaincy title celebrations.
We are four Sisters in my family; my eldest sister and I are the only ones who can make this wonderful food. We learnt the preparation from our late mum. Making it is a beautiful experience because of the recipes involved and the different transitions in colours that are recorded in the palm oil, which is one of the ingredients used in preparing the food.
My experience in preparing the food begins with gathering the needed ingredients for the food. First, soaking the cassava flakes (Abacha) in hot/cold water for a few minutes to soften, and getting all my mixtures in a good balance. Although it is not stressful and does not require much time to prepare, the most important aspect is the palm oil mixture. Immediately, the mixture rhymes with the added ingredients, the colourful display and aroma of the African Salad will announce the arrival of the food.
One power ingredients that make African Salad special is the oil bean flakes (Ugba). It contains proteins that make the food nutritious. The African Salad is not complete without the bean flakes, which are mainly spread or mixed with the cassava flakes. They are also munchy in nature, giving eaters the needed delight during meals.
African Salad remains my favourite food, and I’m not sure I'll change that anytime soon. It stands as a cultural heritage, a means of showcasing my creativity in the different styles of art involved in the preparation and presentation of the food. I have introduced some individuals to it both in my workplace and neighbourhood. I do not wish to stop but rather hand over the baton to as many people who are willing to learn about my culture on a plate.
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