Agidi is a gel-like traditional fermented starchy food item produced from (Zea mays). Although, millet and sorghum can also serve as raw materials, its colour depends on the cereal used.
It is cream to glassy white from maize, light brown from sorghum and grey to greenish from millet. It is known by different localities such as “eko” (Yoruba)”komu” (Hausa)“Agidi”(Ibo). Agidi is prepared by wet sieving with the aid of clean cloth.
The mixture is allowed to settle and the ogi slurry supernatant decanted, boiled and cooked with occasional stirring to get agidi meal. Agidi can be prepared as “jolloff agidi” which can be consumed at any time without the requirement of stew.
The major cereals in Nigeria include Maize, Sorghum, Millet and Rice. Cereals are utilized in various ways in Nigeria. Maize is utilized in different ways such as ogi. Ogi is a poridge prepared from fermentation of maize in Nigeria.
It is a staple food that can be served as a weaning food for infants or breakfast for adults. „Ogi‟ can also be prepared from millet and sorghum. Pito which is produced from maize is a traditional alcoholic drink in Nigeria. Popcorn (guguru), egbo, agidi, moi-moi,and tuwo are also produced from maize. Sorghum is utilized in different ways which include production of burukutu – a local alcoholic beverage in Nigeria. The process involves malting, mashing, boiling, fermentation and maturation. It can also be produced using a combination of maize and sorghum.
Millet is one of the major cereals utilized in Nigeria to produce kunun zaki, fura and the process involves decortication/ dehulling, washing, drying, milling, fermenting, moulding, steaming, and drying. Masa, pito, ogi are all produced from millet.
Fermentation of cereal based foods is a common practice in Africa for food preservation. It is a technology that is simple; home based and has fed millions of people. Currently, a variety of fermented foods are produced from cereals at house hold and semi industrial scale.
These foods are used as weaning food for infants and children and also for adults.
TRADITIONAL METHOD OF PROCESSING AGIDI
Maize (Zea mays) grains
↓
Sort and clean
↓
Wash with clean water
↓
Soak in clean water for 24-48 h
↓
Drain off water
↓
Wet milled (using commercial milling machine)
↓
Wet sieve (using clean muslin cloth)
↓
Allowed to sediment (24 – 48 h, optional)
↓
Decant
↓
Ogi slurry
↓
Boiled and cooked at 78±2.5°C
↓
agidi/eko/akasan.
By Akubuo Chigaemezu
How to make Nigerian jollof rice
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
