You know that rumbling feeling in your stomach when it has been empty for more than 18hours, that feeling that make you think you are about to 'die' and you can't take just another step further? and even if at all you do, the sound of your stomach consumes you, you can't hear any other thing (not even the loudest music playing), just the sound from that drum of yours. The pain eats you within slowly and silently, even more when you decide to take in just another breath......... I would like to tell you something to lift up your spirits, "YOU ARE NOT ALONE". I actually mean you are not the only one who feels this way....so get over yourself and go get some 'IJEBU GARRI'.
What? You thought i was going to give you the 'God-is-with-you' or 'You-can-make-it-through' speech??? Like seriously......you should know as a Nigerian 'black and proud' *winks*, that when this time in your life that seems to occur everytime your pocket is 'empty' comes the next available and rational thing to do is to take 'garri'.
Yeah! Yeah! Ijebu garri this, ijebu garri that, ijebu garri everywhere even in the 'rich man's house'. When it comes to hunger and no money, ijebu garri is the ish..........I didn't say this but i know because i have had to drink it more than i can even remember. SHHHH!
I wouldn't wanna bore you with the full details of garri processing (ask google) but what you should know is that, garri, that fine cream-white flour, not so smooth, a lilttle coarse in texture, with the smell of dust and taste almost as sour as lime, with the sharp or would i say harsh feeling after the first 'throwdown' (swallow), gives the satisfaction of the Beluga caviar (the world's most expensive food that cost $5000 per kilogram) its a Chinese food by the way, and leaves a pretty smile on the faces of hungry Nigerians with a big stomach at the end of every 'cup' or 'bowl' of garri consumed *winks* and oh........ before I forget, the terrible and difficult-to-dispose excreta that comes afterwards and this time with a frown! (Don't even deny it).
Garri is eaten as a snack by placing it in a bowl and adding cold water, you can add your own recipe later. Maybe eating it the way it is popularly eaten by adding sugar alone or alongside condensed milk and groundnut. Some people add milk alone, some just use groundnut or kuli-kuli (snack made from peanut)...........
I even heard some people use cocoa( bournvita or milo) with garri, but i know i saw someone use 'chin-chin' once....LOL. There's also coconut, palm kanel nut, peanut, dry fish (EJA GBIGBEE)........and who knows what else. I personally take my ijebu-garri with milk, groundnut and sugar. You dig *winks*.
So let's give it up for this cassava snack that has saved the lives of hungry Nigerians since forever and putting a smile on their faces to live a day more, everyday and keeping their hopes of making it one day. But what they all fail to understand is that even in their wealth and elegant/ expensive lives, they will still crave for IJEBU GARRI from time-to-time.
WRITTEN BY: SUSAN ISRAEL
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