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Its abundance was often important for survival in lean years and so its arrival is an occasion of great joy - it is for the new harvest and the end of the rainy season that the Igbo celebrate Iwaji every August.

Iwaji 2005 in Birmingham

Prayers of thanksgiving

The Iwaji or New Yam festival each year provides a colourful exhibition of the importance of the vegetable in Igbo culture, with prayers offered up and thanks given to the gods and spirits of traditional folklore.

In Birmingham, the Iwaji festival has become an important way for the local Igbo community to reaffirm its identity and showcase its culture to outsiders. In addition to the customary eating of yam and other Igbo meals, the youth of the community and the women each prepare and perform a new dance based on that of the village gatherings back in Igboland.

Iwaji 2005 in Birmingham

Passing on the Igbo culture to the next generation

The build up to the festivities and the event itself are therefore a great way to strengthen ties among Igbos in the West Midlands, and pass Igbo cultural heritage on to younger generations. It is also important that non-Igbos be invited to share in the merry-making, to reflect the fact that the new harvest is a time of plenty and generosity.

Yam is very versatile

The yam is famous among native West African agrarian societies for its resilience (as it can survive for up to six months without refrigeration), but also for its versatility.

Yam is very versitile

In its simplest edible form, it can just be peeled and boiled; it is more common however to pulp it into a doughy consistency to produce pounded yam which is eaten with traditional African egusi soup, which is usually the main meal eaten at the New Yam celebration.

Yam is also often made into a potage with tomatoes and herbs, or can be fried into 'chips' to be eaten with an egg stew. It can even roasted with peppered palm oil or made into a snack as yam balls...

Yam dishes

Igbo yam recipes

Here are a couple of traditional yam recipes to try yourself:

Yam Potage

Ingredients - 170 mls of corn oil
       1 large onion (chopped)
       1 tin of chopped tomatoes
       2 tablespoons of ground crayfish
       Meat stock
       Half a tuber of peeled yam
       Salt and Pepper to taste
       Maggi cubes to taste

Boiled yam

Method - Pour corn oil into a pot at Gas Mark 6
Add the onions and tomatoes and fry for 5 minutes
Add the crayfish and mix
Pour in 3 litres of meat stock and bring to boil
Add pepper, salt and maggi cubes to taste
Add the yam and cook until soft - it may be necessary to add more water
Serve with boiled mixed vegetables and grilled chicken

Boiled yam

Peel, dice and wash half a tuber of yam, and boil it in salted water until soft

Fried yam

Peel and wash half a tuber. Cut it into slices and deep fry until golden in colour

A traditional Igbo yam dish

Egg and corn beef stew to be eaten with boiled or fried Yam

Ingredients - 1 tin of corned beef
       3 eggs
       4 gloves of garlic
       1 large onion
       6 large ripe tomatoes
       1 knorr cube
       2 small chilli peppers
       Salt
       3 large spoonfuls of sunflower oil
      
Method - Blend half an onion with 2 cloves of garlic and put aside
Blend the other half the onion with 2 cloves of garlic, 4 tomatoes and 2 small chillis and put aside
Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan for a minute or two
Add the blended onions and garlic, fry for two minutes
Add the blended tomatoes, corned beef and knorr cube, and cook for 10 minutes
Finally add the whisked eggs and fry for another 3-5 minutes.

Mr Osita Chukkwulobelu, Nkechi and Nididiamaka

Celebrating our culture

In Birmingham the Iwaji festival is organised by the Igbo Community Association in the Midlands (ICAM).

During a delicious buffet lunch of an array of traditional yam dishes at the home of ICAM Chairman, Mr Osita Chukwulobelu - members of the association talked about the significance of the Iwaji festival and Igbo cultural traditions.