INdulge: Traditional Nigerian stew with rich history is best thing I ate in Indy this week
Juneteenth, which commemorates the day the last slaves of the Confederacy were freed in 1865, has come and gone. However — if you'll allow me a brief moment on my radical, extremist soapbox — one could argue you don't need a federal holiday to support Black-owned businesses in your community.
Among those businesses are Indianapolis' various West African restaurants. For this week's INdulge, I sampled a sliver of that robust culinary tradition with:
If you're unfamiliar with Nigerian food, I suspect you could wander up to just about any restaurant that serves it, order a dish completely at random and end up with a memorably flavorful surprise. For an idea of where to start, consider the ayamase at Jollof Buka on the Near Westside.
Black-owned restaurants: 40 to check out in the Indianapolis area
Ayamase (aye-ah-mah-shay) is a thick sauce made with a blend of green peppers (usually bell peppers and/or unripe chilies), aromatic vegetables, hard-boiled egg and irú, fermented African locust beans. Various cuts of meat are also a common ingredient; Jollof Buka prepares its ayamase ($16.95) with shreds of turkey and chicken. These components are cooked in bleached palm oil, which has a distinct yet hard-to-place flavor I can best describe as hardy.
The ayamase has a semi-dry, fibrous consistency similar to other spice pastes like Mexican salsa macha or Indonesian sambal. It packs a slight vegetal sweetness thanks to the peppers, while the meat and egg make it a well-rounded, savory meal. Though the stew is not especially spicy, an overly ambitious spoonful won't go unnoticed on the way down your throat.
While not as well-known as jollof, Nigeria's national dish of spiced rice from which Jollof Buka gets its name (buka is a term for a casual restaurant in Yoruba, one of three major languages spoken in Nigeria), ayamase is extremely popular in the West African country. Unlike centuries-old jollof, ayamase has likely only been around for about a hundred years.
The most popular origin story for ayamase tells of a woman living in the small Nigerian town of Ikenne named Felicia Ajibabi Adesina, who in the 1920s developed a sauce of peppers and palm oil to serve at her food stand with Ofada rice (ayamase is often referred to as Ofada stew). Supposedly, Adesina's short-tempered husband would often get into scraps with neighbors, prompting concerned friends and family members to call him Mase, a Yoruba word that means 'don't' — as in, come on, man, don't hit him. In turn, Adesina's wildly popular sauce became known as obe aya Mase, meaning 'Mase's wife's sauce,' and eventually just ayamase.
Previously in INdulge: Why do dads love to grill? This BBQ dish was best thing I ate in Indy this week
While the fun stories behind our favorite foods typically fall apart under scrutiny, the legend of Felicia Adesina actually seems to hold up. It's the only historical explanation for ayamase I can find, including in one of Nigeria's oldest independent newspapers, The Guardian.
Amid a lack of contrary evidence, I'm content to believe the tale of Adesina's fiery entrepreneurial spirit and similarly combustible husband. Whoever its inventor, ayamase remains a strong representative of Nigerian cuisine. Though summer generally doesn't stir cravings of hot, spiced stew, I'd say a visit Jollof Buka is worth the sweat.
What: Ayamase, $16.95
Where: Jollof Buka, 2501 W. Washington St., (317) 384-1575, thejollofbuka.com/menufy
In case that's not your thing: Jollof Buka's menu caters to diners of widely varying curiosity levels, so it's OK if you're totally new to Nigerian food. The jollof with jerk chicken ($18), fried spiced chicken wings ($9) or vegetarian okra soup ($16.49) should all ring reasonably familiar to the Western palate. Meanwhile, more adventurous eaters can swing for peppered ponmo (cow skin cooked in chili paste, $16) or the spicy goat stir fry called asun ($16, weekends only).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
MFA returns two Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
'As custodians of these exceptional objects for the past 12 years, it is deeply gratifying to see them returned to their rightful owner,' he said in a statement. Advertisement A ceremony at the Nigeria House in New York, pictured from left: Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, consul general of Nigeria; Victoria Reed, the MFA's senior curator for provenance; Pierre Terjanian, the MFA's chief of curatorial affairs and conservation; Ambassador Samson Itegboje, of the Nigerian embassy; MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum; Prince Aghatise Erediauwa; Dr. Arese Carrington. Andy Henderson/Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The restituted works, a 16th or 17th century Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The plunder quickly made its way to the art market and scores of museums across Europe and (to a lesser extent) the US. The bronzes, viewed by many as an exemplar of colonial-era excess, have become a cause célèbre in recent years, with many museums returning or pledging to return them to Nigeria, where the palace has called for their return. (The Benin kingdom is distinct from the modern country of Benin, which borders Nigeria). Advertisement The collection has been That put the MFA in the difficult position: It only had clear title to five of the artworks, so it was trying to negotiate an agreement with the palace for a collection the vast majority of which it did not yet fully own. 'It's really not appropriate for us to bring them into the collection,' Victoria Reed, the museum's senior curator for provenance, told the Globe earlier this year. 'But that means that we do not own them, and therefore we don't have control over them.' The MFA returned this relief plaque Friday, which can be traced directly to the 1897 raid. Relief plaque showing two officials with raised swords, c. 1530‑1570. Royal Bronze‑casting Guild (Igun Eronmwon) Copper alloy. *Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Robert Owen Lehman Collection. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston But the museum's efforts abruptly ran aground this spring, when Lehman, an award-winning filmmaker, 'We're all sad in contemplating this outcome,' Teitelbaum said at the time. 'There's no moment of celebration or resolution that feels fully satisfying.' Reached by phone Friday, however, he said Lehman's retraction freed the museum's hand. Advertisement 'It opened up another set of conversations,' said Teitelbaum, who described the ceremony as a 'powerful day.' 'This is the result.' The two restituted works can be traced to the 1897 raid, said Reed. The commemorative head is recorded on the London art market in 1899, when it was sold with other looted artworks from the kingdom. The relief plaque passed through the Crown Agent of the Niger Coast Protectorate (the British protectorate state, whose forces led the raid), who sold it in 1898. This commemorative head was sold along with other looted works on the London art market in 1899. Commemorative Head, 16th–17th century. Terracotta, iron. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The artworks soon entered England's Pitt-Rivers Museum; Lehman acquired them years later when portions of the collection were sold. 'I'm am never going to say that we have 100 percent certainty about anything,' she said by phone from New York. 'But based on the available evidence, How likely is it that these were not looted? I think very, very small.' Prince Aghatise Erediauwa called the ceremony a great event, adding that the Benin royal court expected other museums 'to do the right thing.' The 'MFA has joined in showing the world that the restitution of looted heritage works is not at the pleasure of whoever is holding them,' he said via WhatsApp. 'It is the ethical and legal thing to do.' Dr. Arese Carrington, a member of the MFA's board of advisors, orchestrated the transfer. Following the ceremony, Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments plans to take possession of the bronzes and deliver them to Omo N'Oba Ewuare II, Oba, or king, of Benin. Reed is still researching the provenance of the three bronzes that remain in the museum's collection. She said that while they can be traced to the American and European art markets in the second half of the 20th century, it remains unclear when and how they left Africa. Advertisement 'There are large gaps in their provenance,' she said. 'We're going to try to fill' them. Malcolm Gay can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
La Grange Juneteenth event features recollections of cousin of Emmett Till
The 75 or so people who gathered June 19 for the annual Juneteenth commemoration in La Grange had a chance to hear the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. tell of some personal history. 'My story's not a pleasant story and it's not a pretty story, but it's history,' said Parker, the keynote speaker at the event at The Corral at Lyons Township High School South Campus. Parker grew up in nearby Summit and was the cousin of Emmett Till, who was murdered by Southern racists in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman. He described the night Till was abducted and murdered, taken from their grandfather's house in the middle of the night. 'That was the last time we saw Emmett alive,' Parker said. Juneteenth, now a state and federal holiday, celebrates the day in 1865 that Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, with 2,000 troops and issued General Order No. 3, informing enslaved Texans of their freedom. Although President Abraham Lincoln officially freed all those held in slavery with the Jan. 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, the actual end of the 'peculiar institution' didn't happen all at once. The actual freeing of enslaved people occurred at varying times throughout the territories where slavery existed, depending on how far the Union Army had advanced. Texas, being in what was then the far Southwest portion of the United States, was the last territory under federal command to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. While the original celebrations of Juneteenth took place in Galveston, the holiday spread over time until it became the eleventh federal holiday in 2021. In La Grange, the commemoration also featured speeches from Billy 'Che' Brooks, former deputy minister of education for the Black Panther Party; Poshlyn Nicholson, of ChaseYouth; and Ramon Lacey, of Lace Up Athletics, the organizer and sponsor of the event. 'We support the community by building complete athletes for building a stronger community,' Lacey said. 'We use physical fitness, mentorship, and community service to combat things like childhood obesity and the opportunity gap. We provide community service events like this and others.' There were poetry readings by Nicholson and students from Nazareth Academy as well as a Juneteenth trivia game involving members of the audience. Actor Corin Rogers, of 'Cooley High' had a Black history exhibit and took questions from the audience. Nicholson was passionate in her discussion of the importance of celebrating the day. 'Juneteenth is a time of remembering what happened to our people and how we were disenfranchised,' she said. … 'Myself, I was not aware of how much Juneteenth meant to our community until about five years ago.' Brian Waterman, superintendent of Lyons Township High School District 204, welcomed the visitors to the temporary home of the Juneteenth celebration. 'I'm really excited that LT is the host school for it, I've went to it the last couple years,' he said. It's usually at the Community Center, so we're happy to step up and host this amazing event. It's always an event that a wide variety of our community comes out to support. I think the organizers did a great job.' Trustee Beth Augustine was among village leaders attending the event. 'It's extremely moving and I look forward to it going forward,' she said.
Axios
7 days ago
- Axios
How to observe Juneteenth in NWA
Juneteenth is on Thursday. It became a federal holiday in 2021 and commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier. Here's how to learn more about the holiday and celebrate in NWA. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art the Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is celebrating with kid-friendly activities and gallery talks throughout the permanent collection focusing on Black history. 11am-4pm Thursday. Free. Freedom Festival, hosted by Music Moves and The Community Cohesion Project Foundation, includes a market and live music starting at 2pm Saturday at Luther George Park in Springdale throughout the night. Free.
