Tracing History: From Koose to Acarajé to Binch Akara to Akara Osu
Written by Tobi Olaiya
Food is history and memory. With slavery, colonization, and forced migration, origin becomes difficult to ascertain. While tracing one’s ancestry is complex, food presents itself as an important clue in the interconnectedness of people of African origin. From jollof rice to bofrot to acarajé, similarities in food play an important role in uniting us and offer clues to common ancestral origins.
Akara is a symbol of the connection between West Africans and the diaspora. A reminder that before the arbitrary shaping and cutting of Africa by the Europeans, we were more connected and similar than is now appreciated. From Ghana to Sierra Leone to Brazil to Nigeria, akara reigns supreme. While the name and methods of preparation may differ, the basic recipe remains the same.
Enslaved peoples from West Africa, took akara with them to Brazil. This is evident in the Brazillian name for akara, acarajé. Acarajé is coined from two Yoruba words: akara and jé. Jé in Yoruba means to eat. A more appropriate translation is ‘akara, wá jé’ which means ‘come and eat akara’ a phrase used by the Baianas, the women who sell acarajé in Bahia, Brazil.
Acarajé. Photo via Tastemade
The basic recipe of acarajé is extremely similar to the Nigerian Akara Elepo recipe. The major difference between akara and acarajé is the accompanying side dish. Unlike pap or yaji or bread, Brazilians slice acarajé in two and eat it with vatapá- a Brazillian shrimp stew.
In Ghana, akara is called Koose a derivative of the Hausa name for akara, Kosai, in northern Nigeria. The recipe for Koose is exactly the same as the recipe for akara. It’s usually paired with Hausa koko prepared similarly to the millet pap popular in northern Nigeria.
In Sierra Leone, there are different types of akara including Binch akara and rice akara. Rice akara is made using a combination of rice flour and mashed bananas and is more sweet than savoury. Binch akara is made using beans and the recipe is similar to that of Koose, acarajé, and Nigerian akara.
In Nigeria, akara evokes memories of Saturday morning chores, road trips, and street eats. Akara has also moved from being a humble street food to take its place in restaurants like Danfo Bistro.
While the basic recipe of beans, cooking oil, spices, and habanero exist across West Africa, various versions of akara exist in Nigeria.
Here’s a look at some of them.
Saturday Morning Akara
This is the classic akara and the one we’re all familiar with. You probably have memories of your mom soaking the beans overnight, peeling the skin off the beans by rubbing it vigorously between her palms and repeating this process until the brown skin came off leaving the beans skinless.
The skinless beans are then combined with ata rodo (habanero pepper) and onions and pureed into a smooth paste in the blender. After this, spices are added and small scoops of batter poured into hot, vegetable oil. The resulting balls of akara are fluffy brown and to eaten with pap, sugar, and milk.
Kosai
If you grew up in northern Nigeria, you already know Kosai. Kosai is the Hausa name for akara and is the perfect street food. Kosai has a peculiar aroma- a mix of firewood and oil, a testimony to multiple fried batches and reused oil.
In this part of the country, Kosai is usually served with fried sweet potatoes or pap and a side of yaji which is a great dip.
Akara Osu
Akara osu is from Osu, a village in Osun state. If you’ve taken a road trip to the southwest of Nigeria from northern Nigeria, you’d know akara osu. Akara osu has a unique golden brown exterior and when you cut into it, the interior is white.
It also has a fragrant smell of lightly bleached palm oil. It is hard to escape the sellers of akara osu on the expressway. They flock your car as you come to a halt and carry freshly fried pieces of akara osu wrapped in old newspapers with opinion pieces about corrupt government officials and the lack of electricity.
Akara osu is usually eaten with soft Agege bread and a cold bottle of Coke or Fanta.
Akara Elepo
Akara Elepo literally translates to palm oil akara. You’re probably wondering what the difference is between akara osu and Akara Elepo. For one, the preparation methods differ and akara osu can be made with vegetable oil.
Although Akara Elepo may not be fitfam approved, this is the best of the bunch. The taste of akara fried in bleached, locally sourced, palm oil cannot be replicated. Although similar in size to Kosai, it has a drier taste and aroma.
Featured image courtesy of 9ja Foodie