Foods like amala and eba
Made with stews like efo riro and ogbono
Served on huge plates for everyone to eat
These food originating from the Yoruba towns
And newer preparation for these dishes originating from outsider towns
In the spring, the time before the rainy season
And the time when many crops are beginning to be picked
As the weather warms up
Everyone plays outside and at night
It’s the best time for suya
As celebrations are on the rise
People dress in their best Ankara and drink Malta
We sit in the shades fanning ourselves
As we cook chicken stew
Served best with a plate of rice
As fall comes along
The rain finally tapers off
And the mosquitoes begin to dissipate
Everyone begins to use their big bean pot
The time when ewa oloyin must be eaten
And paired with garri or bread
In the wintertime
The driest and coldest season
When everyone comes back home
a time to warm up and have a joyful conversation
A little pepper soup is the best
Therefore each dish is served best for a particular time
Depending on the occasion and weather
If it were to be served out of order
The food might not be as pleasant for the season
I chose to imitate Rhapsody of Pasta. This piece connected with me as the author describes specific foods for particular seasons and thinking of my childhood, my family would do the same thing too. So, I decided to write my poem using foods related to each of the seasons in my culture. Through writing this poem, I learned that the author describes the seasons through nature outside. This was a new insight for me since we tend not to emphasize the weather so much where my family is from. Also, the weather doesn’t change drastically from one season to the other and really there are only 2 distinct seasons in Nigeria. Therefore I did some research and I learned about how nature plays a part in my culture. Also, I noticed how big of a part Bing plays in the author’s culture as he often mentions the different versions mentioned earlier in the reading. I think there is a cultural DNA in the piece as Shu xi mentions specific dishes such as angan and bozhang that are not even well known to the authors. I also incorporated dishes specific to my culture as I was writing this piece and tried to write of situations when I would have these dishes such as pepper soup and suya. Pepper soup is a very spicy dish and typically the best time to have it is in the winter to warm up and clear any sinus. Suya is another spicy dish made by cooking meat on skewers. Since it is primarily cooked outdoors it is best to have it early spring when the weather isn’t too cold and before the rainy season begins.
Nikki, this is a fine poem. I enjoyed reading it very much. However, your reflection falls short of details and support. We really want to hear more of your thoughts on the 5 prompt questions. We really like your work, but you’ve lost points on areas such as “completeness,” “specificity,” ” engagement with material,” and “connection making.” I wish you had expanded upon your answers with more reflections and references to the course materials and discussions.