HOW TO PREPARE “GWOTEN ACHA”

Every tribe has their dishes which they mostly consume and when this occurs, we tend to say that such kind of food is their best dish. Some certain persons from the Northern area of Nigeria precisely, Plateau State, mostly consume “Gwote” and we could say that “Gwote” is one of their favourite food.

One of the ingredients usually used to prepare “Gwote” is “Acha”.  Acha is probably the oldest African cereal. It is cultivated across the dry savannas for thousands of years in West Africans. For instance, In English, it is usually referred to as “hungry rice”, It is one of the world best – tasting cereals. Much of it is found growing in semiarid areas. In the Fouta Djallon Plateau of Guinea. It grows on acidic soils with high aluminum content that are deadly to other crops ( Nazmul Haq ).

The name ‘hungry rice’ was given to it by Europeans because they believed that only those that are hungry consume it mostly, but it was a misinterpretation by the Europeans because those who cultivate it does not consume it because they are starving, but because they like the taste. Indeed, they considered the grain exotic.

It is not only in Nigeria is ‘acha’ consumed but also in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. It is either the staple or a major part of the diet. The name given to it by the Malians is ‘fonio acid’. It is important this way to the Dogon, a people of Mali. To them, the whole universe emerged from a fonio seed- the smallest object in the Dogon experience- a sort of atomic cosmology.

In some places in Nigeria, people reserved it particularly for chiefs, royalty and special occasion. It also formed part of the traditional bride price. Some communities used it in ancestor worship. It is one of the world’s best testing cereals.

                Medical Personnel (Doctors) have confirmed “acha” as one of the best food that adds nutrients to the body. It could reduce your sugar level if you are diabetic. It can be consumed in any form. You could just make it in form of pap, add sugar and milk to it and drink, you could also prepare it in a solid form as a swallow food and make soup of yours and swallow it. Acha gives nutrient to the body, but as we all know that nothing much is good, there should also be limitation to its consumption due to its starchy nature so as to avoid malnutrition.

Actually there are different types of ‘gwote’. We have ‘gwoten doya’ and ‘gwoten acha’, which we are concern with in this tutorial. The ingredients usually used to prepare ‘gwote acha’ are: acha seed which is usually tiny, vegetables, ‘yakwa’( vegetable in the Northern side), seasoning, salt, onion, ’gauta’ ( the smallish and greenish type of garden egg ), biscuit bone and palm oil.

PROCEDURES INVOLVE IN PREPARING ‘GWOTEN ACHA’ 

• Water should be on the stove and the quantity of the water should depend on the quantity of the seed. 

• Add ‘gauta’, biscuit bone, seasoning, dried fish and salt to the water on the stove.

• Wash the seeds thoroughly twice or three times depending on how dirty the seeds are. This is because sand usually mixed with the seeds in the process of harvesting due to its tiny nature.

• Then pour the ‘acha’ into the boiling water which contains the other ingredients.

• Cover the pot for two or three minutes depending on the quantity of the food.

• Make sure you slice the vegetables and wash them thoroughly.

• Pour the vegetables in the boiling ‘acha’ and stir it together ( you may add little palm oil to it depending on your choice).

• Cover the pot for two or three minutes depending on the quantity of the ‘gwote’.

After these, bring it down from the stove.

‘Gwote acha’ is ready for consumption