If you will ever win the heart of a Yoruba man, just prepare him a dish of pounded yam. I see someone trying to get poundo yam already, huh! Pounded yam is the most cherished food of the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria, most especially the Ekitis, Ondos, and the Ijeshas. Pounded yam is the main ceremonial food of the people. If you haven’t prepared pounded yam in this part of the country during special occasions, it is seen as not special by your visitors. Yam is widely grown all over the country especially in the rainforest vegetation of the country. It is seen as a special crop in most parts of the country as people celebrate new yam in a festival (it is used to mark the end of a planting season in some cultures). In those days, the size of a man’s yam farm determines his worth. Yam, when pounded and served with the soup of your choice, is so tasty. Washing it down with palm wine is the best thing that can happen to a foodie.
HOW TO MAKE POUNDED YAM
You must have a mortar and pestle if you really want pounded yam. People these days don’t want to go through the stress of pounding, the reason many go for the alternative in poundo yam. Poundo yam is just a flour made to serve as pounded yam but cannot be compared with the yam processed in a mortar and pestle. The first thing to do when preparing this meal is to peel the yam tubers. It is then cut into sizes, rinsed and set in a pot. On a stove, boil the yam till it is done. While cooking the yam, wash your mortar and pestle thoroughly, then set aside in a container (bowl/dish) where you would put the pounded yam. Once it is done, the next thing to do is to pound the yam in the mortar with the pestle. You just have to pound very well, making sure pieces of yam are not left behind while pounding. Pounded yam is best served when smooth. Water is added to the pounded yam in the mortar and turned thoroughly with the pestle to make it smooth. Once this is done, you can now dish your pounded yam. It is best served with egusi (melon) soup. Vegetable, okra, okazi, Okoho, and any other soup can be used to savor this meal. If you can’t go through the rigorous process of pounding, then you can as well buy in a restaurant or a Yoruba Owambe party before seeking the alternative in poundo yam. You’ll see the difference in taste and thank me later for winning the heart of your man with this sumptuous meal.
