Yam is grown widely in Nigeria. The area where it is grown the most is the Gboko town in Benue state. Yam can be served with a variety of soups like Egusi, Ogbono, Vegetable and Okro. In many parts of the country, it is said that “yam is food and food is yam”.
Are yams native to Nigeria?
Yam domestication occurred along an axis at the forest–savannah ecotone in the eastern part of West Africa [10], where Nigeria is geographically. Nigeria is reputed to have the most advanced yam culture and civilization in the world [11].
What country is yam from?
Yams originated in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Africans call yams “nyami,” which is where we get the word “yam.” They are cylindrical and vary in size.
Where is yam found in Nigeria?
Taraba is the top region by production of yam in Nigeria. As of 2005, production of yam in Taraba was 3,162 1000 metric tons that accounts for 12.89% of Nigeria’s production of yam. The top 5 regions (others are Benue, Niger, Enugu, and Kaduna) account for 50.55% of it.
What type of yam is Nigerian yam?
Out of these, Dioscorea rotundata (white yam) and Dioscorea alata (water yam) are the most common, and most economically important, species in Nigeria. Yams are grown in the coastal region in rain forests, wood savanna and southern savanna habitats.
What is yam called in Nigeria?
Puna
Yam (Puna) is very popular in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Who brought yam to Africa?
After having been brought into cultivation, this species of yam was carried by man far out into the Pacific by the Polynesian migration, which probably originated in southern China and Indochina about 3500 B.P. (Suggs 1960), and later, around 2000 B.P. or more recently, to Madagascar and the East African littoral.
Did sweet potatoes come from Africa?
Sweet potatoes are native to South America and were introduced to Africa in the 1600s via Portuguese trade routes.
Why are yams important in Nigeria?
For the Igbo and Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria, it symbolizes prosperity and fertility. For the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria, the yam crop is not just a harvest, but a symbol of hard work, wealth, and celebration. Since the early days, the harvest of yams represented the start of a new harvest season.
What country has the most yams?
Nigeria
The biggest producer of yams is Nigeria (more than 44 million tons), followed by Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo. Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Haiti and Colombia complete the top 10.
What is traditional Nigerian food?
The Best Nigerian Cuisine
- Iyan (Pounded Yam)
- Ewa Riro (Beans Porridge)
- Jollof Rice.
- Beef Suya (Thin Strips of Seasoned, Grilled Beef)
- Dodo (Fried Plantain)
- Egusi Soup (Ground Melon Vegetable Soup)
- Nigerian Egg Rolls (It’s Not What You’re Thinking)
- Puff Puff (Sweet Deep Fried Dough)
What is yam in Igbo?
Yam translate to Igbo meanings: ji. In other words, ji in Igbo is Yam in English.
Which state in Nigeria that produces yam most?
Benue is Nigeria’s largest yam producing state and records an average sale of 1.5 million yams a year.
Are there yams in Africa?
The African yam is rich and highly nutritional. It is a cash crop that is available in some areas of Africa all year-round. unlike some other crops that are seasonal. Depending on location, it is also popularly referred to as Ghana yam, Nigerian yam, African yam, true yam, white yam, or puna yam.
What are American yams?
Often North Americans use the words “yam” & “sweet potato” interchangeably. However, a true yam is a starchy, edible tuber, generally with a drier taste than a sweet potato.
What is white yam in Yoruba?
YORUBA-NAGO isu ewura = water yam NIGERIA: BEROM dém pwεŋ = white yam (LB) dém sunàŋ = red yam (LB) kit jey = outside yam; because the tubers are emergent from the ground (LB) kit kácìk = straight yam; for the long, large tubers, bigger than dém, smooth (LB) EDO ígìorùa (JMD) udin (JMD) EFIK èbìgè (auctt.)
Is fufu and pounded yam the same?
Is pounded yam a version of fufu? Yes, it is a popular fufu recipe in West African countries. It is also considered one of what they called swallow foods often served with soups and stews.
Where in Africa did yams originate?
The estimated geographical origin of cultivated yam expansion was located within the basin of the Niger River, between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. This presumed area of the origin of yam cultivation is now dry and unsuitable for D.
How did yams get to Africa?
It has even been implied in otherwise responsible works (Dumont 1966) that yams were introduced in cultivation to Africa from America along with cassava and other crops.
How do yams grow in Nigeria?
Plant the Yams
White yam is best planted in rainy season within the months of March and April, depending on the time the tuber dormancy is broken, as indicated by the sprouting of tubers under storage and upon beginning of rain in a particular area.
What is sweet potato called in Africa?
(And we’re talking sweet potatoes, not yams. In America, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are often incorrectly called yams — a totally different tuber crop (Dioscorea spp.) grown widely in West Africa that is white inside.)
Justin Shelton is a professional cook. He’s been in the industry for over 10 years, and he loves nothing more than creating delicious dishes for others to enjoy. Justin has worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, and he’s always looking for new challenges and ways to improve his craft. When he’s not cooking, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He loves exploring new restaurants and trying out different cuisines.