Amala is a celebrated dish in Nigeria, native to the western part of the country. It is a highly cherished delicacy, especially by the Oyo people and other parts of Yoruba land. Made from yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, the dish has gained an interesting popularity with the populace. After a very hectic morning or day, a bowl of amala for a late lunch couldn’t be less filling and rewarding. No matter how sophisticated or elegant one might be, when it comes to a bowl of hot amala, there are rules to follow.
The perfect combo
A perfect Amala meal would be the one served with Abula, a mixture of ewedu soup, gbegiri, and pepper stew with different parts of cow and goat meat. Anything other than this comes short of perfection. People have certain preferences, but there are some combinations that should be tagged as a criminal offense. A perfect dough of amala, soft and smooth, should be served sitting pretty in the centre of a plate flooded with abula and mighty chunks of meat. Down this with a glass of juice.
No cutleries
I said weird soup combinations with Amala should be tagged criminal, but here is an even greater offence. Who eats Amala with anything other than their fingers? Cutlery is good, but the fingers are way better. After a good wash, of course. If you want to have the best amala experience in Nigeria, eat with your fingers. There has to be a connection between you and the food. It all starts with your hand and the fluffy dough.
Hot and slightly spicy
Go for the hot and spicy dish. The best way to have amala is when it is still smoking hot and fresh from the pot. It gets less fluffy as it gets cold. The temperature is all part of the experience of a plate of hot amala alongside a slightly spicy soup. Your rate buds are going to thank you for the sweet, hot, and slightly spicy experience.
Avoid 5-star intercontinental restaurants
There are certain people who know how best to prepare amala, and you most likely won’t find them at the intercontinental restaurants. They are not chefs; they are those people who have been making it for years and probably inherited a family business. Have your bowl of goodness at a recommended local Amala restaurant. They do it the best.
Go Hungry, Three is Not a Crowd
To have a fab Amala experience, you need to go to the restaurant hungry. You have to feel the meal travel down your pipes and settle into your bare stomach. The meal is generally sumptuous and very filling. There’s no point in eating when the stomach is half full. For the utmost satisfactory experience, relish every ounce of taste and flavour, go hungry, and do not go alone.
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