This street food, cheap and uncomplicated, has captured the hearts of many Nigerians.
But it is not common knowledge that the meal is not originally Nigerian.Ewa Agoyin is a very popular street food made of beans and sauce.
The beans is particularly soft or mashed, while the sauce is usually dark and reddish.
The term ‘Ewa Agoyin’ was coined from Ewa, meaning beans in Yoruba, and Agoyin, which is a tribe in Benin Republic or a general term used by Nigerians to refer to Beninese and Togolese people.
Ewa Agoyin was therefore used to describe the type of beans prepared by these people of Togolese and Beninese origins.
It was first introduced into the Nigerian diet by the first generation of Agoyin people migrating to Nigeria far back as the sixties. It became more popular in Lagos in the 80s’, until its fame spread like wildfire over Africa in the mid-nineties.
It’s such a classic that it has become a regular victim of gentrification.
As said ealier, the bens is cooked till very soft and them mashed. The sauce, on the other hand, is prepared with palm oil, dry peppers and onions.
If you would like to prepare your ewa agoyin for yourself, check out this recipe. It can be served with soft bread (agege) and/or plantains.
