hi, is iru specific to yoruba tribe or do other tribes use it in their egusi

Its not specific to Yorubas.

The other type I know of, is eaten in the midwestern part of Nigeria (non-Yoruba). Its very long, stripped and thin, not small and round like the Yoruba one, and has a milder taste.

is this not the IRU that has one odd smell/

Mustay:

is this not the IRU that has one odd smell/

Odd Smell when its raw but that becomes a fantastic aroma when in soup.

Iru=Yoruba
Ogirri=Igbo
Dawadawa=Hausa.

It is used in several parts of Nigeria o.

spikedcylinder:

Iru=Yoruba
Ogirri=Igbo
Dawadawa=Hausa.

It is used in several parts of Nigeria o.

ogiri and dawadawa are sure not iru. though they are local seasonings, but surely different in look, texture and taste,

Alright, thats interesting. Thank you.

i love, love ,love , it

its smells bad, but once it lands inside a pot of ogbono or ewedu or efo riro

its pure heaven

hummmmmm yum!

forget that wait until you try Garri and salad cream

ikamefa:


i love, love ,love , it

its smells bad, but once it lands inside a pot of ogbono or ewedu or efo riro

its pure heaven

hummmmmm yum!

Kai see as you land everything together, you go like iru o

omosor:

forget that wait until you try Garri and salad cream

Freak!

MyPeace:



ogiri and dawadawa are sure not iru.  though they are local seasonings, but surely different in look, texture and taste,

iru/ dawadawa is fermented locust bean seed, ogiri is fermented sesame seed

I LOOOOOOOVE Iru! I particularly like it in ofada stew. Can't wait to have lunch

cool i didnt know you could out that in your stew. i thought that was only for soup. also, do you have to blend it into a paste or can you just put it in as you find it??

Leilah:

cool i didnt know you could out that in your stew. i thought that was only for soup. also, do you have to blend it into a paste or can you just put it in as you find it??

Wash it then add it into the stew or soup, there is no need making it into paste.

Flakybaby:

Wash it then add it into the stew or soup, there is no need making it into paste.

True. I personally don't blend and enjoy it better when the pepper is partially mashed or blended. Try adding roasted catfish to it and u'll practically forget your name!

i miss IRU!!!

where can i get it in the UK?anywhere i am ready to track that yummy locust bean thingy down!

Send me 300pounds & i'll send by UPS, pronto.

lami4life:

Send me 300pounds & i'll send by UPS, pronto.

haba!!!

u wan kill me?

Gordon Brown take im own comot, u sef wan bleed me dry!

chill naw

Was just trying to help Tot u were desperate

Brash!:

i miss IRU!!!

where can i get it in the UK?anywhere i am ready to track that yummy locust bean thingy down!

U can get it in peckham rye lane,thats where i get mine from.

Locust beans are gotten from the pods of the Carob tree and also have other uses besides being a Nigerian spice.

A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known fruit may have the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.


History

Ceratonia siliqua, the scientific name of the carob tree, derives from the Greek kerátiοn (κεράτιον), “fruit of the carob” (from keras [κέρας] "horn", and Latin siliqua "pod, carob." The term "carat", the unit by which diamond weight is measured, is also derived from the Greek word kerátiοn (κεράτιον), alluding to an ancient practice of people in the Middle East weighing gold and gemstones against the seeds of the carob tree[citation needed]. The system was eventually standardized and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.

In late Roman and early Byzantine times the pure gold coin known as the solidus weighed 24 carat seeds (about 4.5 grams). As a result, the carat also became a measure of purity for gold. Thus 24 carat gold means 100% pure, 12 carat gold means the alloy contains 50% gold, etc.

Subsistence on carob pods is mentioned in the Talmud: Berakhot reports that Rabbi Haninah subsisted on carob pods. It is probably also mentioned in the New Testament, in which Matthew 3:4 reports that John the Baptist subsisted on "locusts and wild honey"; the Greek word translated "locusts" may refer to carob pods, rather than to grasshoppers.


Traditional uses

Carob was eaten in Ancient Egypt. It was also a common sweetener and was used in the hieroglyph for "sweet" (nedjem). Dried carob fruit is traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat. Carob juice drinks are traditionally drunk during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Carob pods were an important source of sugar before sugarcane and sugar beets became widely available.

Modern uses

Carob, dried or roasted and have a slightly sweet taste resembling chocolate, in powder or chip form, is used as an ingredient in cakes and cookies. Carob is sometimes used as a substitute for chocolate. The seeds, also known as locust beans, are used as animal feed. They are also the source of locust bean gum, a thickening agent used in numerous processed foods. In Egypt, carobs are consumed as a snack. Crushed pods are used to make a refreshing drink. Compotes and liqueurs are made from carob in Malta, Portugal, Spain and Sicily. Carob has proven effective in relieving diarrhea in infants.

Carob has also been used as a non-toxic alternative to chocolate in dog treats as the theobromine in chocolate is toxic to most dogs.

http://www.answers.com/topic/carob-tree-1

What the hell is iru?

MrCrackles:
i miss IRU!!!

where can i get it in the UK?anywhere i am ready to track that yummy locust bean thingy down!

if u want I can be ur supplier

The Etsakos(smwer in Edo) state) also use it as a seasoning. Its their own form of maggi o,lol. I remeba I used to put it a lot in my soups and palm oil stew,by then I wld hav eaten half of it,loool! There was a day I ate so much,raw,frm d one I was to bring bak to lag during hols frm sch(went to auchipoly). Gosh u needed to see me dat day. D smell was oozing out of my pores sef,if I belch iru smell,fart iru smell,pee iru smell,poo iru smell. Infact I was worried d pesn dat sat next to me cld smell it on my body,lmao! I stilll use here in lag wen I want to mak efo riro occasionally or evn palm oil stew but trust me its not lik d type I see dem mak in auchi or agbede village jo,dats why am not so keen on it again

Kai....I love iru

Iru in efo riro
Iru in ofada stew
Iru in ewedu
Iru in ekuru stew
Iru in egusi soup ......

debolly:
Kai....I love iru

Iru in efo riro
Iru in ofada stew
Iru in ewedu
Iru in ekuru stew
Iru in egusi soup ......

If you combine iru and ogiri with fried okra in catfish and stock fish friendly soup wrapped in palm oil that you intend to attack with hot fufu or kpukpuru.. You will know... You will know you can't afford to play with okra anymore when Iru or ogiri is mentioned.

[quote author=tpiah post=3862714]Locust beans are gotten from the pods of the Carob tree and also have other uses besides being a Nigerian spice.


This is what is called locust beans, pls don't confused your self

The West African locust looks nothing like what Westerners might consider a vegetable plant to be. It is a tree. A true Jack-and-the-beanstalk kind of crop, it is indeed related to beans, albeit distantly. It often grows more than 20 meters tall, and people harvest all the pods they can get, sometimes climbing all the way to the top.

Outsiders might dismiss this as a tall tale, but they’d be wrong. Locust combines in a single species Africa’s two greatest needs: food and tree cover. More locusts mean more food and more trees, which add up to more hope for a better continent.

Botanists named this plant genus Parkia in honor of Mungo Park, one of the first Europeans to record it. This intrepid Scottish surgeon-naturalist, who drown in distress attempting to unravel the course of the Niger River, would even now be hardly displeased with the honor. Two centuries on, his namesake plant still plays a vital role in the village and nomadic life of rural peoples living throughout the northern and western savanna regions.

Locust beans are attractive savanna trees, with dramatically spreading crowns and clusters of globular bright red flowers dangling like holiday decorations on long stalks. And they produce many benefits.

For one thing, they produce fruit. Numerous large pods, up to as long as your forearm and wider than your thumb, emerge all over the spreading crown, dangling like the fingers of a green or brown giant. Inside each pod is a yellow or orange dryish pulp. People like it, and no wonder: it can be half sugar and very sweet to the taste, almost like a desert. This mealy delight can make a useful baby food but for many children it may be the main—if not the only—dish, depending on what is left in the family’s granary. It is also made into colorful and refreshing drinks. And it is dried down into a white or yellowish powder that can be stored for later use, at which time it is commonly sprinkled over rice or meat.

But sugary pulp is not this tree’s main gift. Instead, it is the seeds enclosed within it that are the most prized product. These are a regular part of people’s diet and, throughout much of West Africa, they also turn into lifesavers in times of famine. They contain about 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 12 percent sugar, 15 percent starch, and 12 percent fiber, as well
Page 208
Suggested Citation:"11 Locust Bean." National Research Council. 2006. Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11763.
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We sell stonefree, dirtfree and smellfree locust beans.