Dodo Ikire!

- Alajemba Dominion

 A couple of years ago, my Mum traveled to her Hometown in Western Nigeria. When she returned, she brought along a polyethylene bag filled with brownish-black cone-shaped stuff. We all wondered what they were and with her approval, we proceeded to dig in. Our little tongues were met with a chewy, spicy texture and taste, it was wonderful. Mama had brought some Dodo Ikire for us.

Since then, everytime I came across Dodo Ikire, I made sure to have some.

Dodo Ikire is a native food of the Ikire Town in Osun State. Dodo means Plantain, while Ikire is the name of the Town it originates from.

It's make-up is quite simple. It is prepared with overripe plantains, fresh pepper, and salt.

To know for sure if a plantain is suitable, the outer skin of the overripe plantain is usually very dark while the insides are very soft.

After the plantain has been removed from the skin, it is mashed and mixed with ground fresh pepper and salt. Moulds are used to shape it into the desired shape after which it is deep-fried in red oil.

The taste... it's... There are no suitable adjectives to qualify the taste, as one needs to taste and see for oneself.

Months ago, while in school, a friend of mine who just returned from the West happened to pass through Ikire. Upon seeing him and realizing that he bought some Dodo Ikire, I could not hide my glee as I had been craving it for a while.

On what happened to the wonderful Dodo, I'm sure you can guess 😁🤤

It's indeed a wonderful snack. It is usually sold in transparent nylon packs by roadside hawkers around the major road that runs through Ikire. People who know it's worth always buy it.

However, for me, it'll always be a delicacy as it has a special place in my heart.

Have you tasted Dodo Ikire? What do you think about it? Are there any variations of it? What's your Dodo Story? Share it with us in the Comment Box. We'll be glad to hear from you!😁🤗