Amala (food)
Encyclopedia
Àmàlà is a thick brown paste or porridge made from yam, which had been peeled, cleaned, dried and then blended into a flour. It is eaten in West Africa
, primarily among the Yorùbá
of Nigeria
. Àmàlà is made by slicing yam
which is a very popular vegetable in Nigeria
, drying and grinding it into yam flour which is then sieved and processed into amala by mixing the powder into boiling water and stirring it to a desired texture. It could be served with a variety of ọbẹ
(soup), such as ẹfọ
, ilá, ewédú, or gbegiri (black-eyed beans
soup).
There is another type of àmàlà derived from cassava tubers and referred to as àmàlà láfún. This is commonly eaten among the Yorùbá
. The cassava tubers are peeled, dried, ground and sieved to remove any shafts or lumps. This type of àmàlà will usually become a white dough when added to hot boiling water.
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, primarily among the Yorùbá
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Àmàlà is made by slicing yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
which is a very popular vegetable in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, drying and grinding it into yam flour which is then sieved and processed into amala by mixing the powder into boiling water and stirring it to a desired texture. It could be served with a variety of ọbẹ
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
(soup), such as ẹfọ
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
, ilá, ewédú, or gbegiri (black-eyed beans
Black-eyed pea
The black-eyed pea, also called black-eyed bean and chawalie or lobia in various languages in India and Pakistan, is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. The bean mutates easily, giving rise to a number of varieties. The common commercial one is...
soup).
Types
There are generally two types of àmàlà. One is àmàlà iṣu, which is derived from sliced, dried, ground and processed yams tubers into yam powder. When this processed yam powder is added to hot water, it gradually turns into a black/brown dough. This can be eaten with a variety of soups (ọbẹ) and vegetables (ẹfọ).There is another type of àmàlà derived from cassava tubers and referred to as àmàlà láfún. This is commonly eaten among the Yorùbá
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
. The cassava tubers are peeled, dried, ground and sieved to remove any shafts or lumps. This type of àmàlà will usually become a white dough when added to hot boiling water.