THE name ‘fufu’ will register meaning and leave the hungry Nigerian thinking of the possibility of a sumptuous meal. Fufu is a staple food gotten from cassava. It is one of the numerous products cassava can be processed into.
To the typical Nigerian man who engages in rigorous and strenuous work pattern in his daily quest to make ends meet, fufu is a life saver to a body that is both worn out and depleted of energy. When eaten with expertly prepared local soup delicacies, fufu will put an end to grunts and protests of the belly in its cry for hunger.
The Production Process And Consumption
Agricultural studies tells us that carbohydrate foods include cassava, rice, yam, potatoes, etc. in Nigeria, the cassava plant is one that has been greatly put into numerous use as  well as processed into several other products for consumption.
Some processed products of cassava in Nigeria are garri, fufu, Abacha (this is mostly popular among the eastern and south-west people of Nigeria), etc.
Fufu has come to stay in the mouths and bellies of typical Nigerian men and women. In appreciating the highly satisfying nature of this delicacy, one should however, not totally overlook the process and stages it goes through before it is ready for consumption. Every fufu you buy in street corners or market places must have gone through these stages before it is considered adequate for consumption.
Firstly, the harvested cassava plants are peeled off and soaked in water to ferment. Then these pieces of fermented cassava tubers are then taken out and boiled.
In the traditional method, the pieces of boiled cassava are pounded together in a giant wooden mortar using a wooden pestle. In between blows from the pestle, the mixture is turned by hand and water is gradually added till it becomes slurry and sticky. The mixture is then formed into a ball or rounded slab and served.
However, with the invention of the fufu machine, preparation has become much less labour-intensive. These machines could do the work of ten men in a matter of minutes. The machines have greatly reduced the time spent in the production process of fufu thereby making it readily available to meet the high demand of the product by consumers.
Fufu is eaten with local delicacy soups. To the Igbo man, Egusi, Achi or the sticky Ogbonno soup would be most preferable. To the Yoruba man, Okro soup, Efo soup or the popular ‘Obe Ata’ would go well. To the Benin man Banga soup or the mouth watering Black soup would be most preferred. This is to show that the consumption of fufu all depends on the individual involved. His tastes and preferences will determine how well he derives satisfaction from his fufu.
Bodily Requirements Of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are often known as sugary foods. This means that their end product is glucose. Though an essential part of bodily nourishment and nutrition the saying that ‘too much of everything – whether good or bad – is not good’ comes into play. One should be very conscious of the level of these carbohydrate (glucose) foods he consumes. If at all, the body needs no excess sugar to thrive. In fact, to the fat or obess and diabetic person, it is advisable to leave out every form of carbohydrate foods from diets. In their own case, every form of proteinous foods would be required.
However, this is not to say that carbohydrate foods are essentially not relevant to everyone. People who engage in menial jobs and hard labour will find that the consumption of carbohydrate foods greatly provide them with the needed energy for the task ahead.
Carbohydrate foods are often heavy foods which when consumed provides the body with the needed energy for recreational activities. Sportsmen, bricklayers, hawkers on the streets, construction men, roadside trekkers in fact, every active individual whose body burns a lot of energy through sweating needs carbohydrates.
In contrast, just as I have pointed out earlier, the typical in door individual whose daily schedule is to do nothing requires less carbohydrate foods in general. So also, the fat or obsess individual should desist from consuming too much carbohydrates and fatty foods but should embrace proteinous foods as well as a well planned out routine of exercise daily.
How healthy are fufu products?
The question that should arise in the minds of every potential consumer is ‘are there any harmful effects of what I want to consume? “How healthy are these products I want to purchase? “What level of hygiene has been put in place during the production of these products to ensure my safety”. These and many more questions will guide consumers and help them stay away from products with diverse deleterious health effects.
Walking down street corners and market places and laying sight on fufu sellers (mostly women), will give one the shivers. These women who are partakers in both the production and marketing process of these processed fufu show little or no concern to their personal hygiene. The dirty clothing they put on is nothing to write home about.
A woman was once seen urinating on the same spot she was huddled with her fufu merchandise. This is not only alarming but also utterly repulsive. If this unhealthy behaviour is done in public, one can imagine several other dirty habits that must have transpired before the fufu is considered as ready for sale.
Helpful steps to ameliorate this…
On this note, the fufu consumer must literally take his health in his own hands. An ardent fufu consumer who cannot do without it everyday must also learn how to prepare it. Though this might prove rigorous, the fact that the individual himself prepared it will assure him of the safety of his health because he knows the hygienic nature of the food he is about to eat.
The government should also look into the matter. There should be a certain level of hygiene expected of the average fufu seller on the street. Those not meeting the requirements and standards should be adequately sanctioned or told to stop selling.
On the brighter side, the government should also look into/embark on massive industrial processing and marketing of fufu as this will ensure that fufu is processed at very hygienic standards and are suitable for consumption.
Pattern of consumption
As said earlier, ‘fufu’ is consumed either half cooked’ or as ‘ already (fully) cooked’ food. It is eaten by many Nigerians for breakfast, lunch or supper. But many seem to enjoy it for supper.
It can be eaten with any type of soup, depending on the preference of the consumer.
However, the fact that many Nigerian homes prefer the already made fufu to the half cooked due to the ease and convenience it provides is worth discussing.
With the recent scare of food poisoning that is reported daily, is it healthy for families to consume already cooked fufu from the market? Many Nigerians seem not to mind. Some persons still go an extra mile to boil the ‘full cooked’ fufu in a bid to ensuring its safety.
Income Generation
The sale of fufu in Nigeria is a big source of income to many families. Many women who sometimes act as the breadwinners of their homes depend on the business to fend for their children.
Fufu production and sales has proven to be a veritable means of income generation. This is due to the high patronage enjoyed by the sellers of this ‘cassava product’. Consumers from various class of society patronizes these ‘fufu’ sellers and seems to enjoy the food.
It has provided many Nigerians with jobs and has reduced the unemployment level in the country especially amongst ‘uneducated’ women.
Fufu comes in various sizes and is sold at different prices depending on the size. It is relatively cheap and this may be one of the reasons for its high sales and respectability from consumers.
The packaging of the food also affects its sales. Therefore it is usually well packaged in white ‘cellophane’ and arranged in an orderly manner to get the attention of consumers.
As of today, there is no serious advertising strategy used apart from the strategic positioning of sellers of the product in major corners of the City-Oba market and other markets.
When ‘fufu’ is well cooked and packaged, it can last for a number of days before it ‘expires’. As regards the health significance of fufu consumption, it is a healthy food when it is taken with other classes of food-vegetables, meat or fish, etc help to enhance its nutritional nature (value).
However excessive consumption of fufu can lead to obesity and over-weight, as well as diabetes. It is therefore recommended that consumers of fufu should apply their discretion and should supplement it with other balanced diet.
Production Process
The process of making fufu begins with soaking peeled cassava tubers in water for about 3-4 days after cutting it into small sizes. or safety’s sake, it pertinent to cover the bowl or drum used for soaking the cassava. After about 3-4 days, you bring out the fermented cassava tubers squeeze them in a filter placed inside a clean bowl of water. This is done to separate the chaff from the paste of fermented cassava. Due to its offensive odour at that early stage, some persons would pour out the light water that is over the residue, add fresh water, allow it to settle and then pour it out again. This they would do once or twice before pouring the residue into a bag that water can pass through. The open end of the bag should be tightly tied with a rope; sometimes, a heavy object is placed on it to press the water out. After much water has been removed, whatever is left in the bag is poured into a cleaned bowl. Part of the paste is mixed with water in a pot placed on the fire, stir until it turns into starch. Pour cooked starch into the bowl of cassava paste and mix to your taste. Wrap in cellophane, put it in a pot of water and cook. Pounding a clean mortar, mix hot water if necessary, and wrap in nylon for your own consumption or for sale.
Some of the producers of fufu have their own farms where they grow cassava, others buy from farmers who grow cassava. They either buy in heaps – harvested cassava tubers are heaped and a price is fixed to sell it, or in a truck load of cassava, or the farmer sells unharvest cassava on a piece of land to the buyer.
Despite the unpleasant odour involved in the production process of fufu, more persons are still going into the business. We find more women and even young ladies involved in the business. As early as 6 a.m, sellers of fufu have arrived the market with their fufu ready for sale. One may wonder why there are so much persons involved in the business. fufu business, as common as it seems, is really uncreative. This can be traced to the less expensive nature of the production process and the rampant consumption of fufu. Most people see it as less stressful and cheaper to prepare than pounded yam which is more stressful and expensive. Apart from that, fufu last longer than pounded yam which cannot remain as good as it was by the next morning.
Most women involved in the business are the bread winners of their families. Others only use the profit to support their husbands in providing for the family. The young ladies are not left out, as most of them see it as a source to fund their education and well being. It is a source of employment has discourages them from vulgar activities like prostitution, stealing, robbery e.t.c.