Although Igwe and I are both Nigerians, we come from two different worlds – and I’m not talking just about the fact that we come from two tribes (Yoruba and Igbo respectively). I won’t go into the details of our differences because I don’t want to put all of our business in the streets. But let’s just say that if it was not for America, we probably would have no business meeting. Getting married would be out of the question.
All that said, although we have been “together” for seven years now, every now and then, we still find out little things about each other. Like the day I found out that Igwe thought all Hausa people were Muslims by default. Because I lived in the North all my life in Nigeria, I knew otherwise. I had Hausa friends, neighbors, classmates, and church members. Catholic church for that matter sef. He was shocked when I told him that the name Yakubu is actually just Jacob in Hausa. He nearly fainted.
Last week, we went to visit his friend and their brand spanking new baby girl. And his friend made my day when he presented us with tiger nuts. Tiger nuts!! In Jos, we call them Aya. I always liked the wet ones better than the dry ones, and the ones we were given were wet, so yes, I was over the moon. By the way, I feel so dirty saying I liked the wet ones.
My tiger nuts soaking in water to get it soft
The shocker came when Igwe’s friend brought out an empty grocery bag. I asked what the bag was for, and apparently, it was for us to spit out the chewed tiger nuts. Ehn??? This was my first time ever, ever seeing this. In Jos, we chewed and swallowed all our aya. I had never seen it being spat out. So while Igwe and his friend were looking at me in astonishment, I was returning the look, too, because spitting out chewed aya was brand new to me; likewise, swallowing it was new to them. When the thing is not tobacco, which one is to spit it out again kwa?
On whether or not tiger nuts are a natural aphrodisiac, I will put it this way: the morning after we ate them, Igwe was sure that they were indeed an aphrodisiac. I, on the other hand, just waved him off as classic Igwe who finds a way to relate everything to sex.
So, yeah, how do you eat tiger nuts?
P.S. The tiger nuts were bought from an African store here in Baltimore, which means that my life in America is now almost complete.
P.P.S. I ate the tiger nuts with reckless abandon while I nursed my nostalgia for Nigeria. I miss home. I wanna go back. I have a new list of all the foods I must eat.
P.P.P.S. He gave us a bag of tiger nuts to take home. He’s Bae!
P.P.P.P.S. Is it just me or do the wrinkles on these tiger nuts make them look like erect nipples?
I always swallow mine. And yes, they are natural aphrodisiac.
Try blending to extract the juice. That way, you can take more..( Our identical twin boys must arrive)
Good to have you back
Hahahaha at the identical twin boys. You know what? If drinking tiger nut milk is the secret, then lerrus go dia! I musto born confusingly identical twin boys. Yes oooo!
Hehe. I spit mine after chewing o. on the aphrodisiac matter, I’m unaware of its truth or falsity. Lol. the wrinkles indeed look like erect nipples.
You need to swallow them next time and see. It’s like eating coconut and spitting it out. Maka why? The fun is in swallowing it. Yummy stuff. And thanks for confirming the erect nipples. Lol.
How can you spit out Tigernut after eating??? Igwe and his friend are missing something. The beauty is to eat everything!
Gbam!!! In Zebudaya’s words, “Told them!”
I feel the same way oh.
Erect nipples?!!! LOL!! Funny how that is all I got from the post.
Anyway, I swallow mine, and sometimes spit out. It depends on my mood.
Onyi~~ http://www.onyixtus.com
All the gist that I told and all you got was erect nipples? Loool. At least we know where your mind is. Lol.
I always swallow mine. I bought some from Amazon two months ago, they’re expensive. Could you please send me the address of the Africa store, I need to buy more.
Thanks.
Tiger nuts on Amazon? Whaattttt! I don’t know what store he got them from, but I’ll ask. I’m assuming you live in or close to Baltimore?
lol vera love! love! your post. Oh I learnt new stuff from this your post oh. I am like Igwe too use to think all Hausa were muslims by default too until I came to yankee, and I didn’t know it was even safe to swallow tiger nuts sef. LMAO at erected nipples didn’t see it like that till u pointed it out. I guess them bags of tiger nuts you have been eating is having an effect on you lol. I did miss reading ur blogs. keep it up girl.
Hahahahahaha. So it’s tiger nuts making me see erect nipples? Loooool. You are not serious at all. It’s amazing how much we don’t know about each other in Naija. I am so ashamed of how much I don’t know about other tribes, especially the non-major tribes. Tiger nuts are very safe to swallow oh. I have been swallowing them since. Just to be clear, I’m still talking about the tiger nuts.
Never heard of spitting out aya. Why? Sounds very messy.
PS: Yakubu is Jacob, Joseph is Yusuf 🙂
You are right! Got the names mixed up. Lemme go edit. And yeah, spitting it out is messy. And he told me that people do this on the streets in Naija. Very messy.
Lol @ thinking all Hausa were muslims. I love these stories that stem from your differences!Reminds me of hubs & 1. I think I spit it out sometimes and swallow sometimes. I cant even remember anymore – haven’t eaten them in so long, i want! Oh weell..
Kachee | http://www.KacheeTee.com
That’s one of the fun things about coming from different tribes … learning about all these differences. I only spit out the rotten ones. Everything else lands in my belly. Lol.
Swallowing, spitting out, nipples, aphrodisiacs. Vera, so much in just one post. This post is so G rated 🙂
Hahahaha. Manny, it’s not what it looks/sounds/reads like. I can explain!!!
This is my first time on your blog and I like you already. ☺. Wet Aya is nothing to feel dirty about 😉😉😂. But I hear it does help you get wet when you have it with coconut and dabino(date palm). Lol. My mind is not so clean either, so I also saw the nipples and now everytime I see aya I will remember you and nipples. Lastly I unfortunately ‘pour’ out mine cos swallowing (lol 😂. Yes I saw that comment too) gives me cough.
@bubu_afrique
Yayyyyy! Welcome, and thank you for stopping by. The most important thing I got from your comment is that you will think of me (and nipples) anytime you see aya. This is good news. Lol. It means I have made an impact. And lol at pouring out the aya. Call it whatever you want oh. This is a naughty, naughty post.
My love for tigernuts no be here o, funny enough the 1st time i ever had them was when we were living in 1004 in Lagos and they were called Ofio or Hausa Gnut. I have always preferred the wet ones too. I have heard of ppl spitting it out but that’s just waste of good fibre mehn. I extract the juice and sometimes add in dates for extra sweetness-soo yummy. In the north here it’s believed to be an aprhrodisiac especially when juiced and if you add in dates and goat’s milk-i never try am o. It is a very healthy snack overall though and they even sell the flour. LOL @ Igwe thinking all Hausa are muslims, i don’t blame him though, i learnt a lot about northerners, only after moving down here. You’re alone seeing erect nipples o.lmao
Hamira, based on the other comments I’ve received, it’s clear that I’m not the only one who sees the erect nipples. Lol. I’ve never tried goat milk before. I am so afraid of what it might taste like. Tiger nuts are so fun to eat.I want morrrreeee! I’ll try to bring some back when next I’m in Nigeria. There’s so much to be learned when you mix with people who are not like you.
It’s just you
I eat all tiger nuts.
Hey hello… So I’m doing a research on healthy foods and nuts and I stumbled on your blog. Educative and entertaining at the same while. Hahaha.
Quick one, Yakubu is the equivalent of Jacob. Yusuf is the equivalent of Joseph.
Wooo hooooo! I always knew that tiger nuts will eventually make me famous. Lol. Thank you for stopping by! And you’re right about the names. Someone previously corrected me in the comments, and I forgot to change it. I have corrected it now. Thanks for reminding me. And yes to tiger nuts! 😀
P.S. If I have to keep writing about tiger nuts to bring you back here, then I will. Lol.
LoLs… @”I always knew that tiger nuts will eventually make me famous.”
My pleasure, really. Was an interesting read. And the whole blog is a mixture of the right amount of fun and educative. A definite favourite.
Woo hoo!! Thank you so much for your kind review. Don’t just say that and disappear oh! I’m looking forward to seeing more of your comments.
Nice post Vera.
I really can’t bring myself to call it Tiger Nuts, it sounds less tasty to me.
My friend and I were arguing about whether or not to swallow aya. Seriously, who wastes that much fibre?
That’s how I googled and got here.
Those of us that grew up in the north always come off as weird on many things.
Thanks to you, each one I put in my mouth today has looked like nipples (there’s no unreading that)
I don’t know about the aphrodisiac thingy o. I really can’t differentiate; aya or no aya, I am . . . okay let me stop here
PS: My wife is always swallowing it too. I mean aya.
Hahahahahaha.
Mike, I love you already. You are my person for sure. Lol at your wife always swallowing it. Thank you for the clarification. And greetings to your wife, too. And I agree, how can one waste that much aya? Also, aya is a much better word for it than tiger nuts, I agree.
Aya or no aya, you are …..? Please complete. Hahaha.
You ought to chew everything. It is good for the good bacteria in your guts. It confers a myriad of fibre that they feed on and produce butyrate to help with the health of your guts.