If someone told me I would come to love the food I used to hate, I would probably tell the person it was never going to be. I’m not really a foodie so to say but I like good food. Who doesn’t? Ewedu soup is peculiar to the western part of Nigeria. It is a very popular Yoruba food. Although, as popular as it is, this is one Yoruba food I haven’t brought myself to eat since my sojourn in the western part of the country. I’ve never had a taste of it but mere looking at it; I knew it won’t appeal to my taste bud. I couldn’t imagine myself eating it and I always wondered how people love this one food I hated.
You see, I love Efo Riro. I think this is the only Yoruba food I enjoy eating anytime any day. But you see Amala and Ewedu; I had a strong aversion to them. We are worlds apart.
My dislike for Amala was actually caused by a food vendor in my school canteen. One fateful afternoon, I came back from lectures tired and hungry, coupled with a “no light” situation. I couldn’t make my own meal due to the power outage. We were only allowed to cook with an electric cooker, so if there was no light, we had no choice but to eat out.
I needed to eat so I went to her canteen to get some food. The only food available was AMALA and egusi (melon) soup. I could make do with melon soup but why Amala of all things. I really had few options to explore and those options required me to step out of the hostel; I didn’t have the energy to leave the hostel premises, so I bought the food.
I went back to my hostel to enjoy the meal hopefully. The first swallow didn’t leave a good taste in my taste bud. Oh, maybe the second swallow will do better, I encouraged myself. You know that moment you give something bad a benefit of the doubt? Yea, I gave the food combo a benefit of a bitter doubt. I had yet another mouthful of swallow and it almost got stuck in my throat. More like, my throat refused the duo trying to gain entrance into my stomach. But like the stubborn fly, it forcefully went down.
To be frank, I didn’t enjoy that meal one bit; not one bit. I regretted spending my money on that food combo. And since that day, my taste bud never saw the light of Amala. At the end of the day, I figured the Amala I was served was one that has seen days without a buyer. Like, it was stale. And luckily for them, a buyer came and never returned. It’s a pity though that my first experience eating the food was regrettably my last; so to say. I don’t know what the future holds though. I could come to love it though.
So, how did I come to love EWEDU soup? It still beats me. One thing I discovered was that as we grow older, there is a tendency to love the food we used to hate. This could be ascribed to the decrease in the number of our taste buds. However, I wouldn’t know if that is the case here. But whatever it is, I came to love the food.
I travelled to Ibadan for a job interview and my host family served me Ewedu soup and Semo Vita. Thankfully, the swallow accompanying it wasn’t amala. I almost wanted to scream nooooooo, but I held my peace and accepted the food with thanksgiving in my heart. “Oh lord, please let me finish this food. I don’t want to waste it. Wasting it won’t be a good way to appreciate my host.” Thankfully, it wasn’t something I could say I had an allergy to. I ate it, and to my sheer amazement, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, people. That wasn’t bad after all. I wouldn’t know if it was the way it was cooked or something else entirely but I know I enjoyed what I tasted.
This family hosted me again and I was served the soup alongside Semovita. I was actually looking forward to it. “I enjoyed it. And from that moment, I knew this was the beginning of a transition to days of Ewedu soup eating. hahahahahahah. Who’s with me on this?
What is that one food you once hated but now love? Share your experience with me in the comments below.
Hi there, My name is Faith Ijeoma Ezenwere. I am a Broadcast Journalist/OAP and a teen coach. I am passionate about building a community of impact driven Teens and young adults in all spheres of life. In simple terms, I help Teens/Young adults live their dreams. Welcome to my World!
I officially graduated from my Masters degree program in the year 2019. Although the program...
At the end of each year, I reflect on the blessings and lessons of the year. The year has...
Dear Oreoluwa, I'm writing this to you in retrospect. I wish you knew these things...
Two years ago, I was on National Youth Service to my dear nation. During this period, I...
Study groups have proven to be an effective tool in educational systems. Students do engage in it...
My first flight in the air was one scary experience of my life. I was travelling from Lagos back to...
My title reads 7 things I look out for in a friend; but I ask myself if these traits can be found...
One of my passions in life is radio broadcasting. I have always sought for opportunities to really...
Okay, here is the deal, for some people, leaving a particular stage of life to another can be quite...