Savouring Owerri, home of good foods, the charm of bukas

Nigeria is a rich country in every sense of the word, and financial wealth is the least of the examples to give. It is a country of diverse people, cultures, languages, customs, music and many other diversions to keep any tourist engaged till the very end. Despite various challenges it faces, yet, every year, tourists and business people troop into the country from different parts of the World. It seems a paradox, because as younger Nigerians move out to discover the world, tourists troop in to savour different parts and crannies of the land, its flavours, peoples and their different kinds of foods.

Nestled in the southeast parts of the country lies an old town which served as an administrative seat of the colonial government, and is the capital town of the previously named and current Imo state. Imo state is one of the older states created by the Murtala Mohammed-Olusegun Obasanjo military government in 1976. As a result of its history as an administrative town over time, Owerri is dynamic, and keeps evolving to keep up with developments in the world, but it has added newer ideas, forms of creativity which have all made the capital town an attractive home for different people and businesses. From its humble beginnings as a provincial town, it has grown rapidly and is home to good road networks, beautiful buildings, hotels, restaurants and other traditional cultural artefacts. The central nature of the town has attracted people from different parts of Nigeria to live there. Not only Nigerians, but visitors from different parts of the world visit Owerri to enjoy its flavours and tastes. It is a town that has more than five higher institutions located therein, and the town keeps growing as students and others seeking their fortunes come in from different parts of Nigeria to settle in it.

A unique feature of Owerri is the hospitality and friendliness of the people. They are ever welcoming and are accommodating in every way, and one of the ways is through what they eat: food.  Among other things, Owerri is called the Ngwori town (Enjoyment town) and part of this is seen in the way people are entertained with different kinds of foods. A common Owerri parlance says, Ntara ma ugba, nnuru ma mmanya, ndi ulo elu ha lu ma, literarily translated that means, “if I get to eat Ugba (a kind of food made from oil bean seeds), and palm wine to drink, those who are interested in building upstairs, let them continue to build”.  This proverbs reflects the easy and idyllic approach to life of people in Owerri. They live at a relaxed pace. And they enjoy good food. For those who cannot afford the expensive, upscale gastronomic foods, no problem, there are low end food businesses where people can satisfy their cravings for good quality food, and with no drop in its quality.

For those familiar with Owerri, and first time visitors, there are located in different parts of the town, small eating joints of different kinds where patrons get served foods of different varieties to eat or to take away with. These joints come in different forms and shapes. From those who sell food from barrows and carts, there are those who sell in crudely nailed shacks. Others sell in converted containers which has the air of luxury in them and are air-conditioned, with good music filtering through hidden speakers. While others are more conventional, because they are located in houses. Some of these have become so popular that they take over most parts of a house, or bungalow, due to the flow of patrons and other customers who could just come to have a beer and chat with friends. Popularity of bukas, which by the way is a Nigerian term for a food seller, arises because they are easily affordable, they are neighbourhood food joints, where the buyer is assured of a warm good meal, and on days the customer has no money, he can be assured that the seller will sell to him, until he can pay. The arrangement is fluid and friendly. Though it is prone to abuse by some unscrupulous patrons, nonetheless, it is practiced.

There are many good bukas in Owerri, but those that easily come to mind because of their popularity and tasty foods they serve include but not limited to Home Base Foods, Delight Kitchen, Ikenegbu, Lucy’s Kitchen, New Owerri, Bongo Kitchen (Celebrity Papa Put), E De Work, Federal Secretariat, Njemanze Kitchen, Nda Cee Sport viewing centre, Mama Gee, Aladinma Estate, NK Continental, Opposite State Secretariat, Food Empire, Aladinma, IMSU Backgate, My Kitchen, Amakohia Flyover and others.  Other buka joints dot the Owerri space and cater to the every teeming cosmopolitan crowd who desire good food, and in good company too. The question may arise, what kind of food do they serve at these bukas that make them popular? The answer to this is obvious, but to the interested reader, foods like; nkwobi, ofe Owerri (a popular Igbo musician sang a song with this), ofe achi, ugba na okporoko (oil bean salad with codfish), and other exotic foods. Does that mean that conventional foods are not served? Yes. They are served, and are also popular to those who want them.

But what is Owerri without her charms which drive men and women from other parts of the country to savour her rare delicacies?

Okiyi, PhD, reminiscing from Warsaw, Poland .