LEARN FOOD NAMES IN IGBO
In this post, we are going to learn food names in Igbo. We are also going to learn some Igbo food names that I do not know the English equivalent of, for now😊
Let’s start with the word ‘food’, shall we?. Food is ‘nri’. Water is ‘mmiri’.
Breakfast, lunch, supper are ‘nri ụtụtụ’, ‘nri ehihie’ and ‘nri abalị’ respectively.
Food names in Igbo
*Abacha – boiled and sliced cassava. Normally eaten with coconut or made into a dish accompanied with Ụgba (Fermented oil bean seed)
African star apple - Ụdara
Apple - Ụdara bekee
Avocado – Ube bekee
Banana - Unere
Beans - Agwa
Bean balls/cakes - Akara
Bitter kola – Akụ ilu
Bitter leaf – Onugbu/Olugbu
Bitter leaf soup – Ofe Onugbu
Biscuits – Achịcha ọkpọọ
Bread – Achịcha
Breadfruit - Ụkwa
Cake – Achịcha ụtọ
Cassava – Akpụ
Chicken -Anụ ọkụkọ
Corn - ọka
Coconut – Akụ bekee/ Akụ oyibo
Cocoyam - Ede
Egg - Akwa
Fish – Azụ
Fruits – Mkpụrụosisi
Garden egg -Aṅara
Goat meat – Anụ ewu
Groundnut/peanut – Ahụekere
Honey – Mmanụ aṅụ
Kolanut - Ọjị
Lime – Oroma nkịrịsị/Epe nkịrị
Meat – Anụ
Melon - Egusi
Melon soup – Egusi soup
Milk – Mmiri ara ehi
*Moimoi – Steamed bean paste savoury dish
Mushroom - Ero
Oil – Mmanụ
Oil bean seed - Ụgba/Ụkpaka
Okro - Ọkwụrụ
Okro soup – Ofe ọkwụrụ
Onions – Ayọ/Yabasị
Orange – Oroma/Epe
Palm kernel – Akụ/akị
Palm nut – Akwụ/Nkwụ
Palm nut soup – Ofe akwụ
Palm oil – mmanụ nri/mmanụ nni
Pap – Akamụ
Pear – Ube (note this is Nigerian pear)
Pepper - Ose
Plantain – Abịrịka
Potato - Nduku
Pounded yam – Nri ji/Nni ji
Processed cassava – Garri (this is eaten with soup eg ofe egusi etc)
Rice - Osikapa
Salt - Nnu
Soup - Ofe
Turkey meat – Anụ Torotoro
*Ujiri – A fruit
*Ụgụ - Vegetable. I think it’s Fluted Pumpkin but I am not sure
*Ụha – Vegetable. Used to make Ụha soup (Ofe ụha)
*Ụgbọgịrị - Vegetable. I think it’s pumpkin but I am not sure
Vegetables – Akwụkwọ nri (the general term for any leafy green vegetable)
Yam - Ji
Bonus: cooking utensils and kitchen items
Cooking spoon/ladle - Ngaji ofe
Cup - Iko
Cooker/Burner - Ekwu
Fork - Ndụdụ
Knife - Mma
Mortar - Ikwe
Pestle - Ọdụ/Aka odo
Plate - Efere
Pot - Ite
Pot cover - Okwuchi ite
Spoon - Ngaji
Sieve - Nyọ
Wooden ladle - Eku
Sources: My head😊, Igbo dictionary for children by Yvonne Mbanefo, Google, Youtube