FEAR AS A MAJOR DISTORTION IN NORMAL BALANCE.
(Rich. N. Ekegbo)
As a psychological concept, fear negatively affects the psychosystem of the victim of fear. In this context, it is necessary to note that fear is a common monster that haunts both man and animals. Hence the Igbo adage says, “Ọ bụ sọ osisi ka a ga-agwa na a ga-egbu ọ kwụrụ ebe ọ kwụ”, (it is only a tree that will continue to remain where it stands when it hears that it will be killed). Instructively, organisms intuitively flee from threatening objects, other animals in general, emotionally and irritably react to threatening objects, while human beings consciously, but emotionally battle with, or flee from threatening objects. It is necessary to note again that psychology has noted that, apart from anger, love and hatred, fear being one of the passions in man, is one of the psychological concepts that can emotionally be repressed. This write up does not as such aim to exhaust all there is to be said about fear, as its only aim is to look into only the moral and spiritual dimension of it.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MORAL DIMENSION OF FEAR.
As a child, I remember many of us refusing to go to some places at nights with the reason that ‘egwu na-atụ m’, (I am afraid). However, with the promise of some little token, little pesuasion or threat as the case may be, we often faced the monster, and of course, eventually overcame fear. But the degree of this overcoming depended on individuals, and the promised outcome of the reason for facing the object of fear. This means that the degree of repression of not only fear, but the other passions depends on individuals and the promised reward or punishment, and of course some other environmental constraints. The two most simple definitions of fear that I purposely use in this write up are from a standard everyman’s dictionary and from a popular book on ethics. The Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary explains that “Fear means the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when something bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you”. Further explanation is that, this dictionary customarily explains that some elements in fear included the fear of somebody and the fear of something; the fear for somebody and the fear for something. To work with the elements that this definition has presented to us, means that one must see and understand fear in the context of danger, bad and frightening scenario. Again, understanding fear in the context of the above mentioned unpleasant concepts, or undertanding the above mentioned concepts in the context of fear implies that fear is something unpleasant, a negation as it is. And while on one hand, this unpalatableness in fear, can be brought about by somebody or soemething, on the other hand, it is geared towards somebody or something and to be felt directly by the object towards which it is directed, or indirectly by somebody who feels for the object towards which it is directed. Hence, “I am afraid of that madman”, “She is always afraid of the cliff”, “we are afraid of the outcome of that ugly development” etc.; “Ah my brother I feel for you oo!”, “Well, I am only afraid of the harm the injury will cause the horse later” etc. Thus the best definition of fear in the context of the dictionary in question, means that fear is a dreadable occurence arising from somebody or something, directed towards somebody or something and then felt by somebody.
From what I can call a more Christian definition of fear is that given by Peschke (1996:244). According to him, “fear is the shrinking back of the mind on account of an impending evil”. Peschke also added that “This intellectual fear is to be distinguished from the fear of the senses, which is one of the passions and to which therefore the principles of the passions are applicable”.
From the above definition, one can still as we have seen above, see that fear is the attitude that one emotionally and unconsciouly plunges himself or herself into, as a result of a sudden unpleasant occurence, or possible unpleasant development. And with this, let us look at fear as an emotional negation or spiritual acceptance.
Emotional negation.
As an emotional negatation, one can see fear as an emotional distraction, and if being unchecked for a long time can lead to a permanent psychological paralysis. Thus, if one is always afraid of shouting and if he or she continues to flee from scenes where he will likely hear shouting always, he may not grow used to shouting, and as such, for such a person shouting can become a monster that will continue to haunt him or her. Some psychologists believe that the greatest object of failure of a person, is that person’s inability to overcome himself inspite of himself; that is his inability to know his strenght, that he can do something. The inability to accept challenges with courage, implies the ability to admit shortcomings and flee from them. A person like that cannot say, “I can when and where he can”. He does not know the extent of his strenght and the limits of his limitations. Such a person hardly makes a leap in life. And as one of the passions in man, if his fear continues to go uncheked, time comes when he explodes and manifests his fear abruptly. And he may tend to fight the fear which is by now in his subconscious wrongly.
Fear can be minor or serious depending on whether it is caused by minor or serious evil which one can choose to avoid, ignore or face along with its possible consequences. In this regard, it is necessary to note that fear has two principles.
1. Fear does not destroy the voluntariness (i.e. the willingness) in somebody’s character to do something, but only reduces the guilt of its merit as the case may be.
2. Serious fear excuses from the obligations of every type of law (ecclesiastical, Civil, human, natural and divine positive laws). To put it better, a person who is forced to do something bad is almost always exenorated from the wrong act, while the strong arm of justice falls on the person who forced him or her to do the wrong thing. That is why consent and willingness is a necessary condition for someone to do something. That is why even in contracting marriage, even if all the members of the congregation and the families of the parties involved, with the priest and the sacrament, the marriage is invalid even if it is only one of the party does not consent. Again in (1996:247), Peschke noted that,
It is to be noted that ecclesiastical and civil law often invalidate actions rescindable at the instance of him who was influencedd by fear. Ecclesiastical law invalidates the following acts from the very beginning, if undertaken as a result of grave fear unjustly imposed; matrimony, admission to the novitiate, religious vows, promisory oaths, resignation from office etc.”.
Before I delve into God and fear, or rather fear and God, it is necessary to note that there is what is known as the fear of the unknown and the fear of the known. The fear of the unknown means that any possible, unpleasant occurence can occur any time without any fore knowledge of the victim. What makes it worrisome and indeed fearsome is the fact that the victim has by information or intuition known that such a danger that calls for fear is possible or even inevitable. Thus the fore knowlede of possible danger calls for wary on the part of the victim. In this case, the victim may know before hand that something might happen, but when, where and how, he may not know. What makes the unknown more worrisome is the fact that there is “danger” due to threatening situation, only that the limitation of knowledge does not allow one to know the extent, and in fact all about the possible danger so that he will know how to face it. Therefore, the only remedy is caution against the unknown; he will continue to have the fear for the unknown.
The fear of the known means a situation where one has gained the proper knowledge of the innevitable occurence before hand. “A nacked electrified wire is dangerous”, is just an open statement. However, the person who does not know all about the extent of the danger of necked electrified wire may stop at only knowing that nacked electrfied wire is dangerous. And such a person will only know that nacked electrified wire is dangerous and no more, while the person who knows all about necked electrified wire will have the fear of the known (death), to be brought about by the necked electrified wire. That means that knowledge or ignorance aggravates or mitigates fear, just as the culpability (or blameability) of any action due to it. Where a little more difficulty lies is in the event of the fear of God.
THE FEAR OF GOD
The bible states that “the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom”, (Psalm 111:10). The wisdom in this particular fear is that of giving to God the complete honour due to Him as the all, as oppsosed to the foolishness that made the fool who knows nothing about the fear of God, to say in his heart in Psalm 14, that ‘”there is no God above”. Detailed discussion of this might not be necessary here, since fear is not being treated here as a theological concept. In the treatment of fear as the opposite of love, The Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 1767) states that, “The apprehension of evil causes hatred, awesome and fear of the impending evil; this movement ends in sadness at some present evil, or in the danger that resists it”.
In number 1831, the same book of doctrine listed the fear of the Lord as one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. But the question is, “how does one fear the Lord?”, “ Does one fear the Lord as whom he knows or as what he does not know? (The known or the unknown?). I suppose that the best way to fear the Lord is to fear Him as a known and as the unknown. This type of fear is wrapt up in what theologians call reverential fear. This type of fear implies that one knows much about God. And within that knowledge about God, he knows that he has not known much about God, therefore he should always hold him in fear. Therefore reverential fear of God means that one revers God because one knows God to some extent, and fears God because one lacks the required knowledge of God. Just like the wiil-o-the-wisp, the awareness of what one thinks about God does not make a person claim to have known Him, and even though one could think he knows Him, there are limits to that knowledge, since He is everything, including fear that even limits one’s knowledge about Him.
CONCLUSION.
We can here say that as one of the modifiers of human act, fear necessitates the shaping of individuals and peoples’ lives. However, as in many other things, if one or a group of people are not guided well to make the best out of their fears, fear can turn to be a monster to them. And here is where the role of conscience is very necessary.
Below are some tips to help us further to control our fears.
“Fear is a walking stick to fall with, or to lean on and learn with”
-Rich. N. Ekegbo.
“Fear is the mother of foresight”. -H. Taylor
“We must fear God through love and not love Him through fear”. – J. P. Camus
“Let us fear God; and we shall cease to fear man”. – Mahatma Gandhi
“It is a poor thing for anyone to fear that which is inevitable”. – Tertullian
“Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark or the man afraid of the light?”. – M. Freehill.
- Rich. N. Ekegbo
www.igboniile.com
richploughman@yahoo.com
Bibliography
Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, 6th Edition.
Peschke, H. K., (1996), Christian Ethics, vol. I, India: Theological
Publications.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, (1995) Kenya: Paulines
Publications-Africa.
Maurus, J., (2003), Something to think of; Mumbai: Better Yourself Books.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Igbo Proverbs [Nigeria]
ILU IGBO (Igbo proverbs)
About the Igbo people: The Igbo people is one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the other two being Hausa and Yoruba. While the Yoruba people are in the West of Nigeria, Housa people are in the North and Igbo people are in the East of the Country
About Igbo proverbs:
The Igbo proverbs are regarded as the nerve of the Igbo language, because it is that which gives the language its full colour for as it is said, “ilu bụ mmanụ ndị Igbo ji eri okwu” which literary mean that, [Igbo] proverbs are the oil with which words are eaten. Below are some very important Igbo proverbs.
1. Ilu bụ mmanụ igbo ji eri okwu, proverbs are the oil with which Igbo language is garnished.
2. A tụọrọ nwata ilu kọwaara ya, ego e jiri lụ nne ya lara n’iyi, the bride price of the mother to whom the
explanation of a proverb is given is a waste.
3. A kpọọ onye na nke ọ na-eme, ọ za, everyone answers briskly whenever one is called upon for that
which he knows how to do best.
4. Onye aghụghọ nwụọ, onye aghụghọ elie ya, if a crafty man dies, a crafty man buries him.
5. Agadi nwanyị e kunyere nwa ọ sị na eze adịghị ya n’ọnụ, ekunyere ya ka ọ tagbuo atagbu?, the old
woman who says she has no teeth when she was given a baby, was she given the baby for her to eat
it?
6. Onye ụjọ ji ndụ ya n’onye ike, the confidence of the coward lies in the brave.
7. Nwata chọwa nke ya a kpọọ ya ajọ nwa, a child is being frowned at when he goes for his own.
8. Ọchụ nwaọkụkọ nwe ada, nwa ọkụkọ nwe mwemwe ọsọ, falling and getting up is for he that runs
after a (local) chick, while its own turn is gentle run.
9. Ọchụ abụọ na-agba aka, [is eqivalent to] he who hunts many hares catches none.
10. Ngana kpuo ute, agụụ ekpughepu ya, when laziness grips one, hunger revolts.
11. Nwata mere ihe ọjọọ na-akwụgharị na ahụ aja, a child that has done some mischief hibernates.
for more Proverbs, mail: richploughman@yahoo.com
About the Igbo people: The Igbo people is one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the other two being Hausa and Yoruba. While the Yoruba people are in the West of Nigeria, Housa people are in the North and Igbo people are in the East of the Country
About Igbo proverbs:
The Igbo proverbs are regarded as the nerve of the Igbo language, because it is that which gives the language its full colour for as it is said, “ilu bụ mmanụ ndị Igbo ji eri okwu” which literary mean that, [Igbo] proverbs are the oil with which words are eaten. Below are some very important Igbo proverbs.
1. Ilu bụ mmanụ igbo ji eri okwu, proverbs are the oil with which Igbo language is garnished.
2. A tụọrọ nwata ilu kọwaara ya, ego e jiri lụ nne ya lara n’iyi, the bride price of the mother to whom the
explanation of a proverb is given is a waste.
3. A kpọọ onye na nke ọ na-eme, ọ za, everyone answers briskly whenever one is called upon for that
which he knows how to do best.
4. Onye aghụghọ nwụọ, onye aghụghọ elie ya, if a crafty man dies, a crafty man buries him.
5. Agadi nwanyị e kunyere nwa ọ sị na eze adịghị ya n’ọnụ, ekunyere ya ka ọ tagbuo atagbu?, the old
woman who says she has no teeth when she was given a baby, was she given the baby for her to eat
it?
6. Onye ụjọ ji ndụ ya n’onye ike, the confidence of the coward lies in the brave.
7. Nwata chọwa nke ya a kpọọ ya ajọ nwa, a child is being frowned at when he goes for his own.
8. Ọchụ nwaọkụkọ nwe ada, nwa ọkụkọ nwe mwemwe ọsọ, falling and getting up is for he that runs
after a (local) chick, while its own turn is gentle run.
9. Ọchụ abụọ na-agba aka, [is eqivalent to] he who hunts many hares catches none.
10. Ngana kpuo ute, agụụ ekpughepu ya, when laziness grips one, hunger revolts.
11. Nwata mere ihe ọjọọ na-akwụgharị na ahụ aja, a child that has done some mischief hibernates.
for more Proverbs, mail: richploughman@yahoo.com
Death in a better form
To the wise Shakespeare, Life is as a story told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing. But I should think that it signifies something for those who lived well and died in Christ; for we are all at home with the verse which says, Fade, fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine. And with the hope in that particular Jesus, I admire the more the words from a funeral oration, which says, “Time is not measured by the passing of years, but by what one does, what one feels and what one achieves.”
Those who die in Christ are like the bees that die in their honeycomb. The Lord gavest, the Lord takest back. To them, life is not disabled, but via death it is boldly enabled in Christ.
Comrades in Christ, our mourning is defined not only by the words that I use or by my deepest source of feeling, but by the history of death, which is one of the reasons for which you are encountering The Ploughman in literary context. And as Passover script in form of grapes, pomegranates and figs which holy Joshua and Caleb carried on a pole from the Vale of Eshcol, here is not so comfortable a memento from UGWU DỊ NSỌ which my colleague handed over to me as I was closing this up. My only wish about it is that you change the you in it to I;
“You are strong and well.
That’s fine.
You hope to remain so?
That’s natural.
You may be disappointed.
That’s possible.
You will die sooner or later.
That’s sure.
You better start to get ready:
That’s wisdom.
You may ask how to go about it.
That’s necessary.
Then listen!
Have a little time for those who will
weep when you die.
That’s proper.
Produce good deeds for those who
will write your funeral Oration.
That’s true
Those who die in Christ are like the bees that die in their honeycomb. The Lord gavest, the Lord takest back. To them, life is not disabled, but via death it is boldly enabled in Christ.
Comrades in Christ, our mourning is defined not only by the words that I use or by my deepest source of feeling, but by the history of death, which is one of the reasons for which you are encountering The Ploughman in literary context. And as Passover script in form of grapes, pomegranates and figs which holy Joshua and Caleb carried on a pole from the Vale of Eshcol, here is not so comfortable a memento from UGWU DỊ NSỌ which my colleague handed over to me as I was closing this up. My only wish about it is that you change the you in it to I;
“You are strong and well.
That’s fine.
You hope to remain so?
That’s natural.
You may be disappointed.
That’s possible.
You will die sooner or later.
That’s sure.
You better start to get ready:
That’s wisdom.
You may ask how to go about it.
That’s necessary.
Then listen!
Have a little time for those who will
weep when you die.
That’s proper.
Produce good deeds for those who
will write your funeral Oration.
That’s true
Remember:
After this life, there will be judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
O yes, Thank you!”
- an piece from my book, The Ploughman's Talk 2
for more information, write richploughman@yahoo.com
This is a beautiful country-side. Beuty of nature is often natural, but also what we make it to be, be a nature compliant, and help to make the world a better place even from the remotest part of the world where you are.
For more of similar information, write to richploughman@yahoo.com
Christ and Mohammad
Idea of the resurrection is for the Christians a good pillow on which they rest their faith, and the Muslims who have their own faith on Allah know what true obedience to Mohammad means also hope to go to the last place of rest as the Christians think to do after following the rules of Christ in this life. Thus, religion is the livewire of man's existence in this life.
NUTRITIONS OF CASSAVA IN IGBO AND YORUBA LAND
CASSAVA PRODUCTS, THE WIDEST FORMS OF MEAL AMONG THE IGBO PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA.
THE CASSAVA BY-PRODUCTS FOR MEALS ICLUDE TAPIOCA, CASSAVA GRANULES, CASSAVA FLOUR MEAL, (AREBO), AND CASSAVA FOOFOO.
Do you know that cassava is the most widely used product for meals among the Igbo and Yoruba of the Eastern and Western Nigeria respectively. Among the Igbo people, cassava tubers are processed to produce the forms of food items called tapioca, cassava granules, flour mills (arebo), and foofoo.
Tapioca.
Both the fresh and dried tapioca are edible, how?
Preparation
Stage i of no. 1
From the farm, uproot the tuber and cut it to small sizes. You can choose to remove the outer covering of the cassava root before or after cooking. After this has been peeled off, (that is after or before cooking), cut the main cassava tuber into small pieces before cooking. The slices should as much as possible be smaller than the peel off from oranges. Since there is no mechanized equipment used for this peeling, the kitchen knife is the most common equipment for it.
Stage ii of no. 1.
After the peeling, the cassava (which has now been cooked and peeled) is soaked overnight with normal water. This soaking is necessary, and indeed a must so as to remove the toxic element in the tapioca. After the soaking for about eighteen hours or overnight, tapioca is washed in fresh water for about two or three times. After that, the cassava is ready to be eaten as fresh tapioca. Note that this soaking in water and washing is necessary so as to rid the processing tapioca of the toxic element (oxyacetalene), in the cassava.
Stage iii of no.1
This stage is the stage of the ready tapioca.
Tapioca: fresh tapioca is now ready and edible. How?
Serving
it can be eaten raw and as much as one wants.
It can be eaten with coconut seed, or palm kernel nut.
nutrition. Fermented cassava in the form of tapioca gives joy in eating. It contains no sugar; it contains very low percentage of carbohydrates, and cools the temperature of the body, especially when eaten in hot weather. As food item, it is medically balanced and helps to regulate the body temperature and keeps the general body metabolism stable.
2. tapioca diet.
Dehydrated (dried) tapioca.
The preparation takes from the fresh tapioca. Dried (cassava) tapioca is got when, instead of eating the tapioca fresh, it is spread on the surface of the sun with the aid of a basket or a basket-like material so that the water in the fresh tapioca would dry with the help of the heat from the sun. This takes some hours to dry. However, the degree of dryness depends on the choice of the person processing it. If this is meant to be stored for months, or even for years, it must be left to dry well.
Although one can chew the dried tapioca like that, but one can also choose to soak it in water between two and ten minuits depending on how dry it is. After the soaking, one can use palm kernel nut or coconut to eat it. This is one of the best ways of getting cassava to have a very low quantity of carbohydrates. Besides, it contains no sugar, but gives satisfaction. It enhances the osmo regulation of the body. Above all, it can be chewed as a stimulant and ready food.
THE JOLOF TAPIOCA.
The same processed, (preferably dried) tapioca is used in preparing this meal.
Preparation.
- boil enough quantity of water.
- Put the required quantity of tapioca into a basin or bowl and pour the boiled quantity of water onto it and sieve out the water after about ten minuits. Allow the excess water to drip out of the sieve with the help of a sieving equipment.
Preparation of the sauce for the jolof.
Here, it is necessary to mention that the quantity of items to be used should depend on the quantity of the tapioca and the constitution of the cook and the history of the diet requirements of those to whom the meal is meant for.
Requirements
- Get some quantity of palm oil and allow to melt over the fire in a container.
- Grind some quantity of crayfish and some quantity of salt and pepper, and a little grain (or quantity) of potash. After the blending, put a small quantity of fermented castor oil butter in the preparation, blend the mixture until it is well blended. Next, pour a small quantity of the melted oil in the preparation and stir well. The sauce may be too concentrated that it may not hold the tapioca well. Because of that, pour a little quantity of hot water and turn well and continue to check the preparation until one’s taste proves the preparation satisfactory. Note that no cooking of this meal is necessary, although one can make the preparation in a cooking pot and allow the preparation to take place on the fire for just few minuets. Again one should make sure that the preparation does not contain water, even up to a drop in the preparation pot. When all this have taken place, then jolof tapioca is prepared.
Meanwhile, there are people who like to add, as a matter of choice, one or more of things like ungrounded crayfish, sliced garden egg leaves, ụtazị, even garden egg, cut into small pieces to balance the diet more, or to enhance nutrition and taste.
Jolof tapioca is a very popular diet for the average igbo, of past, present and everywhere even where you are, if there are a number of Igbo people there. It is easily seen being prepared and sold in rest houses, in hotels, and by hawkers. And it is enough and easy meal for every family. This is the most globally eaten Igbo meal of especially the Igbo people.
Serving
Tapioca meal in its full ideal, is naturally eaten with enough drinking water on the table. But as a leisure meal or even as dessert as some people take it for, it is best eaten with local wine; that is palm wine or raffia wine, though other types of drink can at the end of the meal be manageable, where palm wine or raffia wine is not possible.
This meal can be eaten by the day time, though it is relatively good and causes no upsets in people even when eaten at odd times and at night. This is the best form of meal I have come across in life.
Nutrition.
Jolof tapioca builds energy. And because it was fermented and dried, it is very low in carbohydrates. It is very delicious, very easy and very cheap to prepare. The average time for the preparation is between ten and fifteen minuets. It doesn’t abuse the eater. Why not reach out to any Igbo and know more about jolof tapioca. Enjoy your meal!
For more information, visit http://www.richploughman.blogspot.com/, or write richploughman@yahoo.com
THE CASSAVA BY-PRODUCTS FOR MEALS ICLUDE TAPIOCA, CASSAVA GRANULES, CASSAVA FLOUR MEAL, (AREBO), AND CASSAVA FOOFOO.
Do you know that cassava is the most widely used product for meals among the Igbo and Yoruba of the Eastern and Western Nigeria respectively. Among the Igbo people, cassava tubers are processed to produce the forms of food items called tapioca, cassava granules, flour mills (arebo), and foofoo.
Tapioca.
Both the fresh and dried tapioca are edible, how?
Preparation
Stage i of no. 1
From the farm, uproot the tuber and cut it to small sizes. You can choose to remove the outer covering of the cassava root before or after cooking. After this has been peeled off, (that is after or before cooking), cut the main cassava tuber into small pieces before cooking. The slices should as much as possible be smaller than the peel off from oranges. Since there is no mechanized equipment used for this peeling, the kitchen knife is the most common equipment for it.
Stage ii of no. 1.
After the peeling, the cassava (which has now been cooked and peeled) is soaked overnight with normal water. This soaking is necessary, and indeed a must so as to remove the toxic element in the tapioca. After the soaking for about eighteen hours or overnight, tapioca is washed in fresh water for about two or three times. After that, the cassava is ready to be eaten as fresh tapioca. Note that this soaking in water and washing is necessary so as to rid the processing tapioca of the toxic element (oxyacetalene), in the cassava.
Stage iii of no.1
This stage is the stage of the ready tapioca.
Tapioca: fresh tapioca is now ready and edible. How?
Serving
it can be eaten raw and as much as one wants.
It can be eaten with coconut seed, or palm kernel nut.
nutrition. Fermented cassava in the form of tapioca gives joy in eating. It contains no sugar; it contains very low percentage of carbohydrates, and cools the temperature of the body, especially when eaten in hot weather. As food item, it is medically balanced and helps to regulate the body temperature and keeps the general body metabolism stable.
2. tapioca diet.
Dehydrated (dried) tapioca.
The preparation takes from the fresh tapioca. Dried (cassava) tapioca is got when, instead of eating the tapioca fresh, it is spread on the surface of the sun with the aid of a basket or a basket-like material so that the water in the fresh tapioca would dry with the help of the heat from the sun. This takes some hours to dry. However, the degree of dryness depends on the choice of the person processing it. If this is meant to be stored for months, or even for years, it must be left to dry well.
Although one can chew the dried tapioca like that, but one can also choose to soak it in water between two and ten minuits depending on how dry it is. After the soaking, one can use palm kernel nut or coconut to eat it. This is one of the best ways of getting cassava to have a very low quantity of carbohydrates. Besides, it contains no sugar, but gives satisfaction. It enhances the osmo regulation of the body. Above all, it can be chewed as a stimulant and ready food.
THE JOLOF TAPIOCA.
The same processed, (preferably dried) tapioca is used in preparing this meal.
Preparation.
- boil enough quantity of water.
- Put the required quantity of tapioca into a basin or bowl and pour the boiled quantity of water onto it and sieve out the water after about ten minuits. Allow the excess water to drip out of the sieve with the help of a sieving equipment.
Preparation of the sauce for the jolof.
Here, it is necessary to mention that the quantity of items to be used should depend on the quantity of the tapioca and the constitution of the cook and the history of the diet requirements of those to whom the meal is meant for.
Requirements
- Get some quantity of palm oil and allow to melt over the fire in a container.
- Grind some quantity of crayfish and some quantity of salt and pepper, and a little grain (or quantity) of potash. After the blending, put a small quantity of fermented castor oil butter in the preparation, blend the mixture until it is well blended. Next, pour a small quantity of the melted oil in the preparation and stir well. The sauce may be too concentrated that it may not hold the tapioca well. Because of that, pour a little quantity of hot water and turn well and continue to check the preparation until one’s taste proves the preparation satisfactory. Note that no cooking of this meal is necessary, although one can make the preparation in a cooking pot and allow the preparation to take place on the fire for just few minuets. Again one should make sure that the preparation does not contain water, even up to a drop in the preparation pot. When all this have taken place, then jolof tapioca is prepared.
Meanwhile, there are people who like to add, as a matter of choice, one or more of things like ungrounded crayfish, sliced garden egg leaves, ụtazị, even garden egg, cut into small pieces to balance the diet more, or to enhance nutrition and taste.
Jolof tapioca is a very popular diet for the average igbo, of past, present and everywhere even where you are, if there are a number of Igbo people there. It is easily seen being prepared and sold in rest houses, in hotels, and by hawkers. And it is enough and easy meal for every family. This is the most globally eaten Igbo meal of especially the Igbo people.
Serving
Tapioca meal in its full ideal, is naturally eaten with enough drinking water on the table. But as a leisure meal or even as dessert as some people take it for, it is best eaten with local wine; that is palm wine or raffia wine, though other types of drink can at the end of the meal be manageable, where palm wine or raffia wine is not possible.
This meal can be eaten by the day time, though it is relatively good and causes no upsets in people even when eaten at odd times and at night. This is the best form of meal I have come across in life.
Nutrition.
Jolof tapioca builds energy. And because it was fermented and dried, it is very low in carbohydrates. It is very delicious, very easy and very cheap to prepare. The average time for the preparation is between ten and fifteen minuets. It doesn’t abuse the eater. Why not reach out to any Igbo and know more about jolof tapioca. Enjoy your meal!
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