Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food?

Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food?

• Why is the Yoruba tribe known for eating too much pepper?
• The Yoruba’s in Nigeria has the spiciest food/delicacies in the world, do you agree?
• Have you ever heard the saying that Yoruba people like pepper?

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Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food? Here Is Why Yoruba’s Enjoy Peppery Food

Everyone who has tried any Yoruba delicacy can attest to the Yorubas’ insatiable appetite for pepper.

You’d assume they’re “spice-lords” based on how they consume peppery delicacies.

What is the meaning of spicy food?

The flavor of spicy foods is sharp, strong, and pungent. Chili peppers, as well as the food they’re used in, are notoriously spicy. People who don’t enjoy spicy food may be afraid to try a restaurant in India, Thailand, or Mexico because those countries’ cuisines are renowned for being spicy.

If you’re a Nigerian who lives in Nigeria, you’re probably aware that Yoruba people and pepper are practically intertwined.

If you’ve ever visited a Yoruba person’s home and eaten their food, you’re probably aware of how much they enjoy spicy food.

So, the next time you pay a visit to a Yoruba friend and are offered food prepared by them, don’t be surprised if it’s spicy. Prepare a full jug of water beside you and eat quietly.

Before you can see another tribe’s request for Yoruba food, it is probably that they have developed a taste for spicy foods.

If you reside in Nigeria, you must have heard about or come into contact with this epic love story.

If you like spicy food, I hope you live to tell the story when you make the initial encounter.

This construct has evolved from a simple dietary decision to a full-fledged identity. So, how did it all begin?

Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food? Here Is Why Yoruba’s Love Peppery Food

One distinctive feature of Yoruba’s is their unwavering and steadfast passion for pepper, which is linked to one or two religious beliefs regarding the meal.

The question is, why do Yoruba’s eat so much pepper?

To begin with, one of the Yorubas’ primary jobs is farming, and pepper is one of their many farm products.

With so much pepper available, it’s only natural that they consume it alongside other farm goods like as yam, maize, beans, plantain, oil palm, and veggies, among other things.

This is why dishes like pounded yam and efo riro (vegetable soup), Moi Moi (beans pudding), Asaro (yam porridge), Amala (yam flour), and efo are popular in the west, as opposed to rice and other foreign cuisines.

Because they are accustomed to eating a lot of pepper, Yoruba’s think that eating peppery or spicy cuisine improves one’s quality of life, as evidenced by the Yoruba proverb “A soul that does not consume pepper is a powerless soul.”

As a result, the more pepper you consume, the stronger you will grow and the better your immune system will be.

A Tale of the Yoruba People and Pepper Love Story

According to a study published in the US Public Library of Science, eating red hot chilli pepper on a regular basis can lengthen one’s life by up to 13%, or ten and a half years.

“Those who consumed chilli pepper had a lower risk of dying than those who did not,” it says.

So, after all, the Yoruba proverb “A soul that does not eat pepper is a powerless soul” makes sense.

When it comes to health, Yorubas believe that eating stew (obe ata) increases the amount of blood in the body.

When a Yoruba man or woman is unwell, they may often recommend drinking anything peppery, such as pepper soup or any other peppery soup, to speed up the healing process and boost blood flow in the system.

Personally, I’m not sure how this is related, but to a Yoruba, it makes sense. So, whether it’s a myth or a fact, it’s always worked in their favor.

Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food?

When it comes to food myths and superstitions, practically all of Nigeria’s tribes have used them to instill discipline in their children at one point or another.

For example, don’t eat anything that falls to the ground since the devil must have licked it, and don’t eat a chicken’s buttocks because you’ll become irritable.

In a similar vein, the Yoruba’s obsession with pepper began as a means of enforcing meal etiquette and preventing individuals from conversing while eating.

This is because Yorubas customarily eat together in a large bowl.

As a result, they increase the spice in the cuisine to prevent individuals from unintentionally spitting into the food.

In any case, Yorubas have been enamored with peppery and spicy foods and have found it difficult to give up.

When asked why people like pepper, some responded, “Pepper is life,” while others believe that “eating pepper gives you a runny nose and that is what they like about it,” while others believe that “a pepper-less cuisine is cold” and can be “nauseating.”

General Reasons Why People Add Pepper

People add pepper for a variety of reasons, including avoiding nausea.

Have you ever made noodles just to eat them and immediately feel nauseous?

Nausea, on the other hand, is a combination of stomach pain and a desire to vomit. There are numerous reasons for this, one of which is food.

Your body may be allergic to cheese, ketchup, or even bland-tasting foods, and when you eat them, your body recognizes them as viruses and attempts to expel them through vomiting.

Nigerians have discovered that increasing the flavor of food, whether by adding pepper, salt, or even lime, might alleviate nausea.

Are the Yorubas’ the only ones who love spicy food? 

In their curries and chutneys, Indians utilize red chili, jalapeño, or equivalent fresh hot pepper powder. Szechuan, Hontonka, and other dried red chili pod varieties are used by the Chinese.

Cameroonians cook with a Capsicum chinense (habanero-type pepper) variation known as Cameroon pepper, which is also popular in Nigeria.

So, depending on the level of heat and flavor, different types of pepper can be used for different purposes. Spicy food consumption is not limited to the Yoruba tribe; it is a personal taste.

Summary on Ever wondered why Yoruba’s like spicy food

If you are a Yoruba person who likes peppery/spicy food, please tell us why you like your food peppery.