Culture is a nice aspect of man’s life. It is the beauty of the society. Culture makes us who we are and give us the values we so cherish. Culture is the defining factor of the society. We are who we are and we prefer what we prefer because of the cultural background we come from.
Each culture has its characteristics. The characteristics of a culture can be defined by their food, by their dressing, by their language and some other factors. The uniqueness of our culture depends on these factors. All the various countries in the world cannot be the same. We can't have the same preference. Our choices and preferences depend on our diverse background.
It is another week to engage with the #iucontest. This is week 8. You can check on the link and share with us your own cultural delicacies.
The type of food we eat depends on the cultural practices and availability. We tend to make our food recipes from what is readily available in our locality. What we easily grow influences our type of food.
In Nigeria where I come from and maybe along the coastal areas of the West African region, there is a common food item called garri. Garri is not a very nutritious food item but it is very popular and staple. Its popularity is from the fact that it is an easy to get source of food. It is cheap and affordable. Many types of delicacies can be made out of it. It can be eaten raw like snacks. It can be soaked with water and taken like a pulse. It can be made into soft solid for swallowing. Garri is our food item that has several derivatives.
The Making
Garri is made from cassava. The cassava is peel and then it is grinded into smash. The smashy cassava is drained till all the smashy water is dried. When it has dried, it will be sieved and then fried. Making garri is one of the major occupations of most Nigerian rural women.
There are several dishes we can make with garri. We prepared garri with hot water into gelatinized soft solid which we swallow with different types of soups. We also soak the garrii with water and drink.
Garri is our common food item.