Iyan

pounded yam: boiled white yam beaten in a mortar until it is smooth, elastic, and silent, the swallow that West Africa measures every other against

Origin: The West African Yam Belt

From the journey of Yam.

Iyan is the Yoruba name for pounded yam, and pounded yam is the dish by which the yam belt judges itself. Peeled white yam is boiled until it yields, then lifted hot into a wooden mortar and beaten with a long pestle until every lump has gone and the mass turns smooth, glossy, and elastic enough to be pulled into a ball. It is not chewed. A piece is torn off, rolled between the fingers, dipped into soup, and swallowed, which is why West Africa calls dishes of this kind swallows. The same dish is made across the belt under other names: foutou igname in Côte d'Ivoire, and the yam fufu of Ghana, Togo, and Benin. It is eaten with the soups that carry it, egusi, efo riro, ogbono, or gbegiri and ewedu together, and it is the food of ceremony: what is served at weddings, funerals, and the reception of an important guest. The pounding is the part that resists shortcuts. Two people often work together, one striking and one turning the dough between strokes, and the sound of the pestle at dusk is the sound of a compound about to eat. An electric yam pounder and the food processor now do it in many kitchens, and purists can tell.

Ingredients

Yam

  • 1.5 kg white yam (puna yam), peeled and cut into 4 cm rounds
  • Water, to cover
  • 0.5 tsp salt (optional; many cooks use none)

To Serve

  • Egusi soup, efo riro, or gbegiri and ewedu, to serve

Method

  1. Peel the yam thickly, cutting away the brown skin and the fibrous layer beneath it, and drop the rounds into cold water as you go.
  2. Boil the yam in fresh water until a knife goes through without resistance, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, keeping a cup of the cooking water.
  3. Put the hot yam into a mortar a few pieces at a time and pound, turning the mass between strokes, adding a spoonful of the hot cooking water when it stiffens, until it is completely smooth and stretches when pulled.
  4. In a food processor, blend the hot yam in batches with a little of the cooking water, stopping as soon as it turns glossy and elastic.
  5. Wet your hands, shape the pounded yam into smooth balls, wrap in cling film or a clean cloth, and serve hot with soup.

Notes

The yam must be a true white yam (Dioscorea rotundata), sold in African grocers as puna or Ghana yam. Water yam will not pound, and sweet potato is a different plant altogether. Pounded yam stiffens as it cools; steam it briefly to bring it back.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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