Food Science in Yoruba - DiscoverYorùbá!

OŃJẸ ÀTI ÌRU

Ońjẹ ni èròjà aṣaralóore èyí tí àwọn ènìyàn tàbí àwọn ẹranko máa ń jẹ tàbí mu tàbí tí ohun-ọ̀gbìn máa ń fàmu láti tọ́jú ìyè àti ìdàgbà.

Ìru jẹ́ ọ̀kan nínú àwọn ìṣàmúlò-ẹ̀rọ pípẹ́ jùlọ fún ìtọ́jú oúnjẹ. Ó jẹ́ ìrìnàjò kan tó gbáralé akitiyan onímọ̀-ìyè ti àwọn abìyè-tín-ń-tín fún ìgbéjáde ọ̀wọ́ àwọn àbọ̀-iparadà èyí tí ó lè ṣe ìtẹ̀rì fún ìdàgbà àti ìwàláàyè àwọn bakitéría-ara àìfẹ́.

Bíótilẹ̀jẹ́ pé a ti lo ìru gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọ̀nà ìtọ́jú oúnjẹ́ àti oun mímu fún ọ̀pọ̀ ẹgbẹ̀rún ọdún, ní kòpẹ́kòpẹ́ yìí ni a ṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ mọ̀ pé àwọn abìyè-tín-ń-tín ló máa ń ṣokùnfà ìrìnajò ìru.

Ìdánáyá ni a mú dàgbàsókè ní (1861) àti pé fún ìgbà àkọ́kọ́, a ṣàwárí ojúṣe tó ṣe kókó ní ti àwọn abìyè-tín-ń-tín fún ìrìnàjò ìru.

Ìṣàwárí àwọn atínńtínyè ṣe kòńgẹ̀ pẹ̀lú ìyípo iléeṣẹ́, ó sí yọrí sí ìkósójúkan onígbàkannáà ní ti àwọn agbélùú ní àwọn ìlú ńláńlá. Nítorínáà ìṣípòpadà bí idán ṣẹlẹ̀ kúrò lórí ìgbéjáde oúnjẹ́ fún àwọn àwùjọ ẹsẹ̀kùkú lọ sí ìgbéjáde olóṣùwọ̀n ńlá. Èyí ló fa pàtàkì ìru.

Nídìí èyí, oúnjẹ nílò láti la ohun méjì kọjá: láti sè é tàbí láti díbàjẹ́.

Oùnjẹ àmúru máa ń tẹ̀lé ìlà ìrìnàjò ìdàgbàsókè ti ọ̀làjú ènìyàn kúrò ní búrẹ́dì, ọtíkà, wàrà-dídì (8000 ọdún sẹ́yìn) àti ọtí-àjàrà (2000 – 4000 BC).

Àwọn òdodo ìru:

Ẹ̀rí àtètèmọ́ ní ti ohun mímú lílé kajọ́ sẹ́yìn ní Ṣáínà sí 9,000 ọdún tó kọjá.
Ó jẹ́ ohun mímu àdàpọ̀ ní ti ìrẹsì àmúru, oyin, èso igi-abẹ̀gún àti/tàbí àjàrà.
Àwọn aṣorírun wa àkọ́kọ́ ló kọ́kọ́ bẹ̀rẹ̀ ìṣàmúlò ọtí-lílé nípa èso àmúru.
Ní mílíọ́ọ̀nu mẹ́wàá ọdún sẹ́yìn, jínìnní aṣorírun àjọni ìgbẹ̀yìn tiwa àti àwọn ìnàkí yípadà (níbàámu ọ̀rọ̀ sáyẹ́ńsì), ó sì gbà wá láyè láti da ògógóró títí dé ìlópo 40 níyàára síi: àwọn ènìyàn sì súyọ̀ láti máa ṣàmúlò ọtí-líle (jínìnnì ADH4).

Pàtàkì ìru níkòósínú:

Àwọn oúnjẹ amúru níkòósínú àgbéjáde àjẹyó (b.a. búrẹ́dì) àti àgbéjáde ìpanu (b.a. ṣokoléètì) papọ̀.
Wọ́n jẹ́ abala pàtàkì nínú àjogúnbá àti ìṣẹ̀ṣe tàwùjọ-tàṣà (àti àkànjẹ!).
Àwọn oúnjẹ àmúru wà ní oríṣiríṣi ìrí ní olúkúlùkù agbègbè ayé.

Ìbéèrè (Dáhùn ní abala àríwísí):

Kí ni pàtàkì mìíràn ní ti àwọn oúnjẹ àmúru tí ìwọ mọ̀?
Kọ díẹ̀ nípa àwọn oúnjẹ ìṣẹ̀ṣe tó ṣe kókó sí àṣà Yorùbá tí ìwọ mọ.

Apákan àwọn àròkàn:

“Ìru oníṣẹ̀ṣe pẹ̀lú ọ̀pọ̀lọ́pọ̀ àwọn àmúṣe mìíràn ti ń kúregbè nínú àwọn àṣà ilẹ̀ Áfíríkà, ó sì nílò àkọsílẹ̀ ṣáájú kó tó sọnù lábẹ́ ìjẹgàba àwọn bíi KFC, Coca Cola àti Levi’s”, lẹ́nu Paul Barker, Gúúsù Áfíríkà.

E je ki a gbe asa, ounje ati ede Yoruba laruge oooo

TOPIC 1: FOOD AND FERMENTATION

Food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb to maintain life and growth.

Fermentation is one of the oldest technologies for food preservation. It is a process dependent on the biological activity of microorganisms for production of a range of metabolites which can suppress the growth and survival of undesirable microflora.

Although fermentations have been exploited as a method for the preservation of food and beverages for thousands of years, it has only been in the more recent past that microorganisms were recognized as being responsible for the fermentation process.

Pasteurization was developed (1861) and for the first time, the essential role of microorganisms in the fermentation process was realized.

The discovery of microbes coincided with the industrial revolution and resulted in the simultaneous concentration of populations in large cities. There was therefore a dramatic shift from food production for local communities to large scale food production. This prompted the importance of fermentation.

In this sense; food needs to undergo 2 things: to be cooked or to get spoilt.

Fermented food follows the entire arc of the development of human civilization from bread (buredi tabi akara oyinbo), beer (oti), cheese (warakansi) (8000 years ago), Wine (oti oyinbo) (2000–4000 BC).

Fermentation facts:

The earliest proof of an alcoholic beverage dates back to China 9,000 years ago. It was a mixed drink of fermented rice, honey, hawthorn fruit and/or grape.
Our primate ancestors first started consuming alcohol via fermented fruit.
Ten million years ago, a gene in the last common ancestor of ours and apes mutated (according to science), allowing us to digest ethanol (oti) up to 40 times faster: humans have evolved to consume alcohol (ADH4 gene).

Importance of fermentation includes:

Fermented foods include both staple products (e.g. bread) and “hedonic” products (e.g. chocolate).
They are important part of our socio-cultural heritage and tradition (and diet!).
Fermented foods are present in different forms in every part of the world.

Question (Reply in the comment section):

What is other importance of fermented foods that you know?
Write a bit on traditional foods that is pertinent to the Yoruba culture that you know.

Some reflections:

“Traditional fermentation along with many other practices are dying out in our African cultures and need to be recorded before it is lost to the likes of KFC, Coca Cola and Levi´s” Paul Barker, South Africa

E je ki a gbe asa, ounje ati ede Yoruba laruge oooo

Hard words:

Microflora: In microbiology, collective bacteria and other microorganisms in a host are historically known as flora. Although microflora is commonly used, the term microbiota is becoming more common.
Microbiology: Microbiology is the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye. This includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa and algae, collectively known as ‘microbes’.
Metabolite: In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually used for small molecules.
Biochemistry: is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. It emerged as a distinct discipline around the beginning of the 20th century when scientists combined chemistry, physiology, and biology to investigate the chemistry of living systems.
Metabolism: is the chemical reactions in the body’s cells that change food into energy. Our bodies need this energy to do everything from moving to thinking to growing. Specific proteins in the body control the chemical reactions of metabolism.
Molecules: The smallest particle of a substance that has all of the physical and chemical properties of that substance. Molecules are made up of one or more atoms.
Pasteurization: the partial sterilization of a product, such as milk or wine, to make it safe for consumption and improve its keeping quality.
Sterilization: Sterilization refers to any process that removes, kills, or deactivates all forms of life and other biological agents like prions present in a specific surface, object or fluid, for example food or biological culture media.

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