The local cuisine forms an important part of the culture of Idanre. Festivals and celebrations are sometimes characterised by the consumption of specific meals and in some instances by the foods that are NOT allowed to be eaten.
Below are some of the local delicacies enjoyed in Idanreland.
Pounded Yam
One of the most delightful meals enjoyed by Makanres is “Iyan” (pounded yam) and “efo riro” (vegetable stew).
Iyan is traditionally made by boiling yam tubers then pounding them in a wooden mortar with a wooden pestle.
However, with the advent of new technologies, yam tubers can now be processed and ground into yam flour. To make Iyan from the flour, it is mixed with boiling water in a pot and stirred until a smooth and strong conssitency is achieved.
There are many however who claim that the Iyan made from the traditional method tastes better than the one made from processed yam flour.
Iyan is enjoyed with an assortment of stews such as “Egusi” (melon soup), “Gbegiri” (ground beans soup),“Ewedu” (another type of vegetable stew) and okro amongst others.
Palm Wine
Palm Wine is made from the sap of the palm tree, which may either be coconut palm or date palm. It is white in colour and serves as an intinsic part of many Yoruba celebrations.
When the sap is freshly extracted from the palm tree, it is a sweet, non alcoholic drink. However, fermentation usually sets in quickly and within about two hours, the fermented palm sap has almost 4% alcohol concentration, the version most often consumed by the indigenes.
Leaving the sap to ferment for up to 24 hours yields a much stronger, sour and intoxicating palm wine,
Palm Wine is enjoyed in many celebrations and festivals in Idanre and most of Yorubaland.
It is also consumed by the indigenes of many other tribes and nations, althought it is called by other names in those tribes or countries.
Pupuru
Pupuru, like Iyan, (Pounded Yam) is enjoyed with a variety of Stews. Unlike Iyan however, it is made from Cassava Flour, which is produced from Cassava tubers.
The tubers are peeled, fermented, then dried and ground into powder .
Dodo (Fried Plantain)
Dodo is made from plantain, a larger sized variant of the banana family.
The plantain is fried either unripe or ripe.. When it is fried ripe, it is sweeter to the taste.
Dodo is eaten with stews, fried egg or by itself as a snack.