Image is mine
Hello, everyone.
I'm excited to be writing my first other post ever since I joined Hive and made my introduction a while back.
Will you believe it if i told you that my secondary school gave me the LOML? Don't get it twisted, I don't mean a partner. I'm talking about my favorite dish.
Well, that's true. It wasn’t really allowed in school because students messed the whole place up with it, but i wouldn't have met the loml if it was totally banned.
Abacha is one meal that I can not do without. I learnt how to prepare it during my secondary school days as a boarder. My corner mates and i during our free period or after lights out will gather to prepare it, it was one thing that brought us together; preparing abacha. I mostly sat and watched, asking questions when i was confused during the process of the preparation. When it was ready, we will usually sit on the floor to enjoy it with our hands (it’s best enjoyed as a finger food). I miss those good old days.
A little background knowledge. Going to secondary school (high school), you get to meet people from different backgrounds, and if you’re opportune to attend a boarding school, you get to live with them, understand their background and get to know them better. In my case, I attended a public secondary school while my siblings attended a private school. I wasn't happy when i was told i was gonna be enrolled into the school but as time went on, i got comfortable there, and even now, i am grateful I attended the school.
My school made me know more about my culture (the Igbo culture), our language, how to speak well and write, local dishes, how to prepare them and many more. Out of my 6 siblings, i speak the most of my language. Some of my friends say i am Igbotic, but that is it! That is who I am. And I do not just speak, I embody the language and mannerisms. My sister back at home will always laugh and couldn't believe it was my favorite food. If someone asked me what my favorite food was, I would not miss the opportunity to say Abacha and crispy fried fish, always beaming with smiles while I say it. With every opportunity I got during the holidays, i always prepared it, so my Mom had to add it to our home meal menu.
Also, in the communities and at events, abacha is one meal being preserved for dignities. It is a very special meal, mostly served with pomo (cow skin) or fried, smoked, dried fish as accompaniment and paired with palm wine. I wouldn’t have believed it if someone told me that the meal my corner mates, and I sat on the floor to enjoy with our hands would grow so much on me and be this special.
Abacha is really the love of my life when it comes to food.