This Isn't Home

Tijani Yusuf

ESL 100

October 14, 2017

This Isn’t Home

         The African people are known for rich cultural values, and food is one major aspect the African  people are known for,for example the Nigerian types of food with a sensational fragrance, aroma and different spices.  At age seventeen , I left Nigeria, the country of my birth I knew a day would come when I would have to leave the country, but never thought it would be soon. In Nigeria, the tribes are sub divided into three Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, I am from the Yoruba tribe of the western part of Nigeria. I believe that out of the three tribes, the Yoruba tribe is the best in the country when it comes to the aspect of food. Since I have been in Chicago I’ve never eaten any Yoruba food to my satisfaction.

          Amala being the best food of the Yoruba tribe is loved by everyone in the tribe but it difficult to get a good one in Chicago. Amala is made from dried yam, after it has been grinded, poured into very hot water and stirred vigorously for some minutes on fire. Back k in my home country is totally different here because here in Chicago, one doesn’t need to go through those tedious processes to get the food ready, just get to the nearby African store to get it already packaged into different sizes, just to put it on fire inside the hot water and stir. This processed ones doesn’t taste so good as the ones me and my parents made back home. After putting a morsel of the prepared food in my mouth it wasn’t good at all and all I could think was this isn’t home.

       In addition, the availability of chicken in Chicago is limited but in Nigeria its surplus. One could eat chicken anytime here in Chicago without stepping ping out of the house, back home when me and my friends were hungry we only needed a stone and a person like me that has a very good target and a hit shot to kill a stray chicken. I’ve never seen a life chicken here since I got to Chicago, either they’ve been roasted, grilled or fried, in a restaurant. Throwing stones at chicken was an avenue for myself and friends to play around and show our targeting skills since we didn’t have a dart we could throw to show what we got.

     Furthermore, collective eating is a form of bond and makes the family stronger due to the Nigerian culture. The food is put in a big bowl then me and my family wash our hands to eat together at the same time, but the children are advised to let the elders eat first  before they eat as a form of respect but in Chicago everyone has to eat in different plates, for instance it doesn’t matter if the father, mother or the child gets to the dinning table first once the food is being served all that really matter is just for everyone to get to the table, eat their and go out or some stay back in the house. The dining table is like a platform to ask my father or mother or something they would in their normal state never accept or give in their normal state of mind, especially if the meal was their favourite or indigenous food.

        Since I left Nigeria and moved to Chicago, I have not being able to eat Amala to my satisfaction because it don’t taste good as my mum prepares it at home. I have surely lost my target for stoning chickens and killing them for food. Though one can still eat chicken but it has to be purchased at either a store or a restaurant. I feel lonely when I eat alone in Chicago. Collective eating also is a culture I have to let go and live like the people in Chicago.