What's Been Missing On My Plate.

Happy Sunday friends. I hope you're having the foodie time of your life 😂. Don't forget to indulge in delicious foods with loved ones today. After all, Sundays are for unwinding, wining and dining, with varieties of food, owambe celebrations, and all whatnot, lol.

I love food, especially local cuisines and home cooked foods. One of such local foods is Akidi - Black beans but unfortunately I hadn't eaten Akidi in months. Before I go into the details why, let me tell you a little about Akidi.

Akidi - black beans is a staple food, popular among the South Eastern Nigeria especially in Abịa, Enugu, Anambra States.

Akidi are nutritional powerhouse, contains a hight amount of plants based proteins, and packed with essential nutrients, vitamins - vitamins B2, C, and A, and minerals such as magnesium, folate, phosphorus and iron, including starch.
They're an excellent choice for diabetic patients and anyone looking for a nutritious meal. In fact, black beans are more nutritious than the regular beans we commonly consume.

Preparing Akidi (black beans) requires special skill and patience as it's not a type of food you can just whip up anyhow, lol. It takes time, in fact hours, to cook Akidi. You can either soak the beans in water overnight or cook and let them sit in water overnight. Either way, the beans will soften by the time you're ready to finish cooking. However, with the advent of pressure pots and electric cookers, cooking Akidi has become a lot easier and faster.

Akidi can be prepared in various ways, depending on the region and one's preference. Plus just a few ingredients are required to prepare a simple meal of Akidi -
**Palm oil, seasoning cube of choice, salt, onion, pepper, protein of choice (optional), and water.

Here are some ways you can enjoy Akidi;

• Akidi with Abacha (African salad).
• Akidi with ji (yam).
• Akidi porridge with fried plantain.
• Akidi and unripe plantain porridge.
• Akidi with fresh corn and ugba.
• Fried akidi with coconut or palm kernel, and lots more.
  Whichever method is your preference, you're guaranteed the tasty goodness of Akidi.
  

Akidi (Black beans) are not your average, everyday food. It's availability varies throughout the year. Typically, they can be found in the local markets from January to the end of planting season. Although they're often available in shopping malls in cans, but that's no longer our legendary local Akidi 😅. You know, there's something special about cooking akidi from the scratch, it offers that connection to the Igbo cultural heritage and traditions.

Akidi may not be as widely popular as other types of beans, but they're a treasured staple in my region. With their unique flavor and texture, it's no wonder they're a favorite among the people, I inclusive.

So the reason I haven't had Akidi in a long time isn't because it takes time to cook or I don't know how to prepare it - thankfully I have an electric cooker and I'm actually a pro at cooking it.😅 The real reason is that it's often unavailable in the local markets here. Even when you find it, the price is often hiked.

I last had Akidi in September last year, and it was sold at ₦700 a cup then. I was thrilled to see it in the market again on Friday, and the prize is ₦800, a cup now. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets to ₦1,000 a cup by the end of this year's planting season.

Now that Akidi is in surplus, I plan to stock up so I can enjoy it whenever I want. If you like Akidi, I urge you to do so too.

Thank you for reading.

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This is a response to the #januaryInleo for January 14th.

Posted Using INLEO