Nigeria: Goat Head Stew, a Delicacy, Is NATION'S "Plat Du Jour"
EZE, Ejike
Nigeria: Goat Head Stew, a Delicacy, Is NATION'S "Plat Du Jour"
Inter Press Service
25-FEB-98
LAGOS, (Feb. 23) SYFIA/GIN - Stylish and expensive, goat head is now the
rage in Nigerian cities where this traditionally Igbo dish has become
the vogue.
Restaurant owners in Nigerian cities have something to rely on: A dish
of "goat head" enjoys sheer success.
"Isi-ewu", the Igbo name for this special delicacy has become a standard
dish in all the cities of the federation. Restaurants attract customers
by introducing it in their menu. So also are the owners of bars and
popular local pubs.
"I noticed a reduction in the number of my customers but since I
introduced goat head in the menu, everything has worked fine", Theresa
Okolo, a restaurant owner in Lagos confesses.
In Lagos alone, there are more than 2,000 eating places where "goat
head" is served.
Paulinus Eze, owner of "Goat Head Spot" in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos
state, says that he sells at least 250 plates of Isi-ewu on weekends and
an average of 50 plates on week days. In this restaurant, a plate of
goat head sells for between N250 ($3.50) and N300 ($3.75) depending on
its size. A plate may also cost as much as N400 ($5) during festive
periods, an amount which represents about one-tenth of the monthly
salary of an average Nigerian worker.
Very few civil servants in Nigeria can afford the luxury of a plate of
goat head. "It is surprising that in spite of the economic situation in
the country, one still finds people who can spend more than N400 to
offer a plate of Isi-ewu to a friend or fiancee. For me, I can never
afford a plate of the delicacy, bearing in mind the amount I receive as
salary", Patrick Okeke, a civil servant at the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture remarked.
For Kenneth Eluwa, a spare parts dealer, offering a plate of Isi- ewu to
a fiancee is a sign of love. But that is not the view of Rose Ibeh, a
college student. "Even if a man buys me five mortars of Isi-ewu, it
means nothing to me. The delicacy has become a means of showing off by
the "money-miss-roads" (the nouveau riches).
Here, one talks about "mortars" because Isi-ewu is not served in plates
but in small wooden mortars. Eating it does not require the use of
forks, spoons or plates. One plunges one's hands directly into the small
mortars.
According to Ajibade Alade, a medical doctor who left his village 15
years ago, eating Isi-ewu is like returning to one's roots. "The fact
that the dish is eaten with bare hands without fork and spoon and inside
a wooden bowl reminds me of the village setting.
"Do not forget also that the environment where it is eaten is typically
African because most restaurants that serve Isi-ewu do so under trees
and in the open air in gardens -- it is a real reunion with nature,"
says Alade.
Goat head has also become a rare commodity in abattoirs. Alhaji Akanbi
Odumosu, a butcher in Lagos, confirms that in 1994, he slaughtered at
least 15,000 goats, a figure collaborated by Philip Ajao, a worker at
the Agege abattoir, a Lagos suburb. He adds that the pressure on
abattoirs is such that it has now become expedient to reserve goat heads
in advance for customers. This is because demands are not always met.
It is difficult to explain the Isi-ewu rage. The dish is originally an
Igbo delicacy. For this linguistic group, south-east of Nigeria, a goat
has a cultural undertone. It is used for religious sacrifices and rites
to the ancestors in the traditional religion. It is mostly eaten during
festivities, marriage ceremonies as well as funerals.
For the Igbos, goat meat is what turkey meat means to Americans on
Thanksgiving Day or Christmas -- a special and choice meat. But how this
animal and especially its head, moved from Igbo villages to different
Nigerian cities where it is now eaten by all irrespective of ethnic
affinity remains a mystery.
Some years back, goat head did not mean anything special in the cities.
Women and housewives never even considered it good enough for
consumption. Butchers then reserved this part of the animal for beggars.
"Sometimes even, we used to throw them into garbage cans if beggars do
not come," Alhaji Odumosu said. "But today", he continues, "we have so
many customers looking for it that we even find it difficult to satisfy
the demands.
This infatuation for goat head has even started to pose problems of
supplies in some urban restaurants. But for goat rearers, it is a boom
that they cannot fail to exploit to the fullest.
Chinyeaka Emmanuel Okoli
Ejike,
You have forwarded this mail about isi ewu and my mouth has began
to water. You have even reminded MOE about BAMBOO END of Goody
Isi ewu and the Owerri road end near St. Barth's Asata. Ewu-o!!!
Because of this your "offence" I fine you an "o*kwa" or mortar of
Isi ewu. I give you the whole of March to place order. First week
of April, I'll land for "chopulation of the isi ewu of goat-head!
If you fail, I'll remain in your house without no go nowhere!
On a serious note, isi-ewu na ato uto ife di iche! I believe it
will soon spring up in North America and Europe. Our delicious
Ugba and Okpoloko (Okporoko) will be the next. Just wait and see.
Abacha, (Not the Head of State-o), I mean abacha-ncha, abacha
ogwugwo, spiced with oporo, dried cray-fish, smoked azu-asa, ose
eghelu eghe, an*ara-ilu (afufa) tiny bitter garden eggs, e.t.c
may also be exported. Just wait and see.
Chinyeaka.
EZE, Ejike
Chiji nwannaa,
Ka o di gi ka o di m maka na a si na ihe na-agu nwaanyi di ime na-agu
onye tuwara ya. Ka any nwee olileanya na isi ewu ga-erute ala bekee dika
Chineyeaka kwuru.
Jisie ike.
Omenka.
>----------
>From: Chiji[SMTP:bc7...@binghamton.edu]
>Sent: Thursday, February 26, 1998 12:55 AM
>To: EZE, Ejike
>Cc: 'igbonet'; 'ugo'
>Subject: Re: Nigeria: Goat Head Stew, a Delicacy, Is NATION'S "Plat Du Jour"
>
>Omenka,
>why torturest thou me thus, ehn?? must i leave this cold and strange land
>and return to ala igbo to be greeted with this delicacy?
>
> \\|//
> (0 0)
>____________________________o00o-(_)_o00o___________________________________
>
>Chiji Akoma
>Department of English Home: 116 Beethoven Street, #7
>SUNY Binghamton Binghamton, NY 13905
>PO Box 6000 Phone: (607) 722-8695
>Binghamton, NY 13902-6000 Alt.E-mail: cak...@hotmail.com
>
>"IN THE DRAMA OF EXISTENCE NOTHINGNESS CRADLES BEING." c.akoma.
>___________________________________________________________________________
>
>
EZE, Ejike
Chinyeaka nwannaa,
I si na ugba na okporoko, isi ewu, abacha Udi na echetara m echetaghi m
ndi ozo ga-awuchi n'ala bekee? Asi m iseee! Ha bata ka mmadu gbawa azi
maka na oriri abughi onu nkahie. Ntatument and mkputument na-adi m mma.
Awo si na o bu ihe ya bu n'afo ka ya ji ekwere umunna ya egwu.
Chi nyere anyi aka.
Omenka.
>----------
>From: Chinyeaka Emmanuel Okoli[SMTP:ceo...@acs.ucalgary.ca]
>Sent: Thursday, February 26, 1998 5:36 AM
>To: ee...@shl.com
>Cc: igbo...@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu
>Subject: Re: Nigeria: Goat Head Stew, a Delicacy, Is NATION'S "Plat Du Jour"
>