Of Plasas, Ebbeh, and Orgasms
It’s day three of the #AfroBloggers challenge and to be honest with you, I did not feel like posting today. I thought just maybe if I have posted two days in a row, that was enough for a commitment. Also partly because there have been constant power cuts and I have gotten so much used to writing on Google Docs (huge shout out to the working offline feature).Then something just said “hey, I think you should just do it” and I think that it is the voice of Plasas reminding me that today’s topic is “Of Your Favorite Local Food”.
I am also writing this at the dining table at 1:00 pm while having breakfast, chocolate spread, and a mug of mint tea, not very local I must say — I think the electricity power just came back on too.
My favorite food (s) is Plasas and Ebbeh. I will make a longer and video filled account of my addiction to Ebbeh. Plasas is not originally a Gambian food, it can be said to be traced from Sierra Leone and was brought to The Gambia by the Aku’s who migrated here for the longest (yes fuck colonialism). It is an authentification of how close and interconnected we are as Africans, or rather West Africans when it comes to food, language, and traditions that are extremely harmful to women. Even though Plaasas is not on the Jollof Rice war level of bickering in West Africa, it is very present in most of the countries but also like Jollof Rice, differently made in each case. However, it has been modified into a very Gambian version that I love. -Oops, electricity power has gone off again.
My love and obsession with Plasas might also be partly because my maternal family originated from Sierra Leone and if I am not completely being humble here, my grandmother cooks at least five different types of Plasas, each one better than the other. Oh boy that woman, God bless her very old and wrinkled hands.
The main ingredients of Plasas are cassava or potato or whatever leaf you can think of, palm oil and meat/fish (sounds familiar? Yeah I did say that Africa is a country.) Come to think of it, both of my favorite food is made of palm oil. Interesting discovery.
While writing this, I also noticed that there was no single photo of Plasas on my phone. This is shockingly unbelievably impossible because I know I always take a photo of Plasas, that is what keeps me sane.
Now Ebbeh — I think I just might have had an orgasm. This is not medically established, and I am not sure there is anything called food addiction, but this is something I am currently struggling with my second love.
I could think about Ebbeh at 3:00 am and will not sleep until I at least put a spoon of it in my mouth. And if you think I am exaggerating, I spend more on Ebbeh than on my hair and body.
If you are from Nigeria, Ebbeh tastes and looks (as you have already seen) like Yam porridge. Nonetheless, Ebbeh is really and originally Gambian and that is it. The main ingredients are Cassava tubers, palm oil, all the seafood available, fish, and a lot of spice and lime.
In more unrelated news, this challenge reminds me of why I hate new year resolutions. I dislike anything that stays on my neck because I am somewhat a perfectionist. In more related news of plugging myself, check out my posts for Day 1 and 2, here especially if you stumbled on this post and have no idea what is going on. — Update, power is back on.
Catch you here again tomorrow, also, I am two days away from reaching my first goal of the challenge.
