Post by Trade facilitator on Aug 15, 2022 22:14:09 GMT 1
Irù: The Amazing African Cooking Condiment – Preparation And Benefits
According to Wikipedia, Irú or Eware is a type of fermented and processed locust beans used as a condiment in cooking. It is similar to ogiri and douchi. It is very popular among the Yoruba people and Edo people of Nigeria. It is used in cooking traditional soups like egusi soup, okro soup, Ewedu soup and ogbono soup.
Yorubas call it “Iru”, Hausas call it “Dawa dawa”, and it is called “Ogiri Okpi” in Igbo language.
Why is it called locust beans?
Locust beans are seeds obtained from the pods of the African locust tree; Parkia biglobosa, which belongs to the family Mimosaceae. African locust bean is sometimes called carob because of the similarities in appearance, but they are different from each other.
How To Prepare Locust Beans:
The traditional method of processing locust beans is usually a reference point from which mechanical devices are made. Since time immemorial, the processing of locust beans is mainly done locally by women in Nigeria and Africa. Processing of locust beans involves shelling of its matured pods, boiling, dehulling, separation of the hull from the beans and fermentation into various forms of condiments.
Women are the key players in locust bean processing. Traditional Boiling is carried out for cooking the beans with the hull for 8 to 10 hours using firewood as fuel. See the length of time it takes to cook the beans. This initial stage of preparation makes the processing time consuming with the seeds usually degraded.
Locust beans are dehulled by mashing the boiled seeds with bare feet near the riverside or using pestle in a mortar. If a mortar is used some clean sand may be added to ease the removal of the hull.
What does dehulling mean? It means to remove the covering or the stem and leaves from some fruits, vegetables and seeds. You can also remember that paddy rice is dehulled to remove the coverings that are locally known as chaff.
If a mortar is used some clean sand may be added to ease the removal of the hull. The process of ridding the edible seeds from the hull in locust bean processing is implied as separation. The separation process is carried out locally using the principle of buoyancy or by using a screen, most often a perforated calabash referred to by the Yorubas as ‘Ajere’. The dehulled beans are sorted out by washing in water. Proximity to water supply is required and for this reason the process is carried out usually in a stream.
Modern Technology In Processing The African Locust Beans:
The application of various, evolving technological methods have resulted in modern methods of processing the African locust bean. Boiling units such as steamers and pressurized vessels are employed in order to enhance good dehulling methods and high quality of the final product.
The use of gas and charcoal as fuel has also been embraced since this provides clean operation and sustained heat input during boiling. In lieu of the impact loading and rubbing action against the wall of the mortar carried out traditionally on boiled seeds, dehullers are used to achieve the same result with rubbing action (force) against the wall of the dehulling chamber of the equipment.
In reality, the guiding principles are very much the same as that of the traditional process; abrasion. This is usually accomplished with a mild steel rotating auger (conveyor) with coils of the same material (mild steel) wound about the perimeter with a gap of 6.5 mm clearance between the coil and the abrasive wall of the dehulling chamber. This is to allow the shear force act on the seeds whose average thickness is about 8 mm, thereby obtaining dehulled seeds.
Separation of the hulls from the edible seeds has constituted a challenge due to the sticky nature of the seeds with the equipment. Modern dehulling equipment has been discovered providing a lot of convenience and cleanliness.
What are the health enhancing properties of Iru?
These are amazing health benefits of Iru (African locust bean):
Anti-oxidant Properties.
Wound Healing Properties.
Treatment of Hypertension and Boosts the Immune System.
Dermatological Properties.
Treatment of Respiratory Infections.
Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders.
In our next article we are going to look at these properties and benefits in details. We shall also look at how you can key into the marketing and export of the commodity.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today, we train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
According to Wikipedia, Irú or Eware is a type of fermented and processed locust beans used as a condiment in cooking. It is similar to ogiri and douchi. It is very popular among the Yoruba people and Edo people of Nigeria. It is used in cooking traditional soups like egusi soup, okro soup, Ewedu soup and ogbono soup.
Yorubas call it “Iru”, Hausas call it “Dawa dawa”, and it is called “Ogiri Okpi” in Igbo language.
Why is it called locust beans?
Locust beans are seeds obtained from the pods of the African locust tree; Parkia biglobosa, which belongs to the family Mimosaceae. African locust bean is sometimes called carob because of the similarities in appearance, but they are different from each other.
How To Prepare Locust Beans:
The traditional method of processing locust beans is usually a reference point from which mechanical devices are made. Since time immemorial, the processing of locust beans is mainly done locally by women in Nigeria and Africa. Processing of locust beans involves shelling of its matured pods, boiling, dehulling, separation of the hull from the beans and fermentation into various forms of condiments.
Women are the key players in locust bean processing. Traditional Boiling is carried out for cooking the beans with the hull for 8 to 10 hours using firewood as fuel. See the length of time it takes to cook the beans. This initial stage of preparation makes the processing time consuming with the seeds usually degraded.
Locust beans are dehulled by mashing the boiled seeds with bare feet near the riverside or using pestle in a mortar. If a mortar is used some clean sand may be added to ease the removal of the hull.
What does dehulling mean? It means to remove the covering or the stem and leaves from some fruits, vegetables and seeds. You can also remember that paddy rice is dehulled to remove the coverings that are locally known as chaff.
If a mortar is used some clean sand may be added to ease the removal of the hull. The process of ridding the edible seeds from the hull in locust bean processing is implied as separation. The separation process is carried out locally using the principle of buoyancy or by using a screen, most often a perforated calabash referred to by the Yorubas as ‘Ajere’. The dehulled beans are sorted out by washing in water. Proximity to water supply is required and for this reason the process is carried out usually in a stream.
Modern Technology In Processing The African Locust Beans:
The application of various, evolving technological methods have resulted in modern methods of processing the African locust bean. Boiling units such as steamers and pressurized vessels are employed in order to enhance good dehulling methods and high quality of the final product.
The use of gas and charcoal as fuel has also been embraced since this provides clean operation and sustained heat input during boiling. In lieu of the impact loading and rubbing action against the wall of the mortar carried out traditionally on boiled seeds, dehullers are used to achieve the same result with rubbing action (force) against the wall of the dehulling chamber of the equipment.
In reality, the guiding principles are very much the same as that of the traditional process; abrasion. This is usually accomplished with a mild steel rotating auger (conveyor) with coils of the same material (mild steel) wound about the perimeter with a gap of 6.5 mm clearance between the coil and the abrasive wall of the dehulling chamber. This is to allow the shear force act on the seeds whose average thickness is about 8 mm, thereby obtaining dehulled seeds.
Separation of the hulls from the edible seeds has constituted a challenge due to the sticky nature of the seeds with the equipment. Modern dehulling equipment has been discovered providing a lot of convenience and cleanliness.
What are the health enhancing properties of Iru?
These are amazing health benefits of Iru (African locust bean):
Anti-oxidant Properties.
Wound Healing Properties.
Treatment of Hypertension and Boosts the Immune System.
Dermatological Properties.
Treatment of Respiratory Infections.
Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders.
In our next article we are going to look at these properties and benefits in details. We shall also look at how you can key into the marketing and export of the commodity.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today, we train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
