Ose oji with garden egg: is a peppered groundnut paste owned by the Igbo but loved by all

The combination of calabash nutmeg, Ashanti, alligator bird’s eye pepper, jalapeno pepper, makes this nut dip really hot and spicy. It is usually eaten with kola nut or  garden egg. In Igboland, most gatherings, meetings and traditional weddings are not complete without ose-oji (peppered and spicy groundnut past) with kola nut or garden egg to go with it. It is in fact, an extremely rich and cultural practice which signifies unity, peace, sincerity and respect.

“It is the African version of peanut butter but with African spices added to it. “I always loved the taste of ose ojii. I used to sit right by my parents during family functions and nibble on the egg plants and lick the peanut paste. It is always served as a dip with garden eggs”, says 35 years old banker , Uche Ulendu, who hails from the Eastern part of the country.

Ose oji, which is usually hawked in the South West, in small plastic containers with garden eggs to go with it by Igbo women, are also cherished by some Yoruba people. According to a colleague, who wouldn’t want his name mentioned, his day is not made without a container of ose oji and garden egg. This could be attributed to the Yoruba people’s love for peppered delicacies. They have a saying that “Emi to o je ata, emi yepere ni, (the spirit that doesn’t eat pepper is a feeble one).

The ose oji is not cooked but all made fresh. The blend of several kinds of African pepper and spices with the mashed roasted groundnut, is what most people love about ose oji. It can last for weeks without being refrigerated. You can also serve ose oji to your guest for appetizer, while they wait for the main food to be ready.

If you are thinking of making ose oji this weekend, here are the recipe and directions:

Ingredients:

• Roasted groundnuts, Jalapeno pepper, Cameroon pepper, bird’s eye pepper, chili pepper, alligator pepper seeds and African black pepper seeds.
• Black peppercorns seeds (uziza)
• African nutmeg (ehuru)
• Dried prawns
• Calabash nutmeg seeds
• Vegetable oil

Directions

• In a dry pan, roast the spices on medium heat till the alligator pepper begins to pop. Turn the toasted spices out of the pan. Once they have cooled down, grind them into a powder.
• Next is the grinding of the peanuts sprinkled with salt, into a smooth, creamy butter.
• Add the blended spices into the blended roasted groundnut and continue to process until the mixture is thick, smooth and spreadable. If it looks too stiff, add another tablespoon of oil and pulse till incorporated.