79.78.116.184 at 20:29, 20 May 2025

2025-05-20T20:29:17Z

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{{Short description|Fermented locust beans used as condiment in cooking in Nigeria}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=September 2021}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=February 2023}}
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{{Other|Iru (disambiguation){{!}}Iru}}
'''Irú''' ([[Yoruba people|Yoruba]]) or '''Daddawa''' ([[Hausa language|Hausa]]) <ref>Sokoh, Ozoz "Chop Chop" (2025) p.24 "Sometimes erroneously confused with dawadawa, which is a grass" {{ISBN|9781648291890}}</ref>or '''Eware''' ([[Edo State|Edo]]) or '''Sumbala''' ([[Bambara language|Bambara]]) or '''Narghi''' ([[Fula language|Fula]]) is a type of fermented and processed [[Parkia biglobosa|locust beans]] (''[[Parkia biglobosa]]'') used as a [[condiment]] in cooking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dawadawa: The Magical Food Ingredient |url=https://abenaoffehgyimah.com/blog/dawadawa-the-magical-food-ingredient |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=LivingTheAncestralWay |language=en-US}}</ref> It is similar to [[ogiri]] and [[douchi]]. It is popular throughout [[West African cuisine]]. It is used in cooking traditional [[soup]]s like [[egusi soup]], [[Okra soup|okro soup]] (ILA), [[Ewedu soup]], and [[ogbono soup]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Petrikova |first1=Ivica |last2=Bhattacharjee |first2=Ranjana |last3=Fraser |first3=Paul D. |title=The 'Nigerian Diet' and Its Evolution: Review of the Existing Literature and Household Survey Data |journal=Foods |date=Jan 2023 |volume=12 |issue=3 |page=443 |doi=10.3390/foods12030443 |pmid=36765972 |pmc=9914143 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Iru production==
[[Image:IRU.JPG|thumb|Dry iru cakes]]

The fabrication process involves boiling, cleaning and then packing away to ferment. This fermentation process gives it a pungent smell. Salt can be added to the finished product to facilitate storage life.

This condiment is traditionally sold in balls or patties that can be kept for several months at a time in the case of the best quality.

Yorubans make two types of Irú:
* '''Irú Wooro''' is used mostly in vegetable soups like Efo Riro, Egusi soup, Ofada sauce, Ayamashe, Buka stew, [[Obe ata]], Ila Asepo, etc.{{CN|date=June 2023}}
* '''Irú pẹ̀tẹ̀''' is used in making [[ewedu]] and [[egusi]] soup.

During [[fermentation]], the reducing [[sugar]] content increases, and the total free [[amino acid]] content initially decreases; in the end, however, there is a large increase in free amino acid content.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1007/BF01577698 | volume=6 | issue=3 | title=Biochemical changes in fermented melon (egusi) seeds (Citrullis vulgaris) | year=1990 | journal=Journal of Industrial Microbiology | pages=211–214
| last1 = Abaelu | first1 = Adela M. | last2 = Olukoya | first2 = Daniel K. | last3 = Okochi | first3 = Veronica I. | last4 = Akinrimisi | first4 = Ezekiel O.| s2cid=24595120 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Names and variations ==
Names and variants in several different languages of the region include:

* [[Manding languages]]: ''sunbala'', ''sumbala'', ''sungala'', ''sumara'' ''Sumbala'' (or in French transcription ''soumbala'') is a loan from [[Manding languages|Manding]].
* [[Hausa language|Hausa]]: ''dawadawa'', ''daddawa''
* [[Pulaar language|Pulaar]]/[[Pular language|Pular]]: ''ojji''
* [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]: ''iru''
* [[Serer language|Serer]], [[Saafi language|Saafi]], [[Wolof language|Wolof]]: ''netetou''
* [[Krio language|Krio]]: ''kainda''
* [[Susu language|Susu]]: ''Kenda''
* [[Zarma language|Zarma]]: ''doso mari''
* [[Dagbani language|Dagbanli]]: ''Kpalgu''
* [[Mooré]]: ''Colgo''
* [[Konkomba language]]: ''tijun'', ''tijon''

== See also ==
* [[List of African dishes]]

==References==
<references />

{{African cuisine}}
{{Condiments}}

{{portal bar|Food}}

[[Category:Fermented foods]]
[[Category:Condiments]]
[[Category:Nigerian cuisine]]
[[Category:Yoruba cuisine]]
[[Category:Umami enhancers]]

Iru (food) - Revision history

79.78.116.184 at 20:29, 20 May 2025