Saying that Ewa Agoyin, a meal of mashed beans, topped with specially prepared palm-oil stew, was one popular meal in which captured virtually every Lagosian’s heart, would not be an exaggeration.

Coined from Ewa, a Yoruba word meaning beans and Agoyin, a name that was used by Nigerians to describe people from Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic, Ewa Agoyin is simply a word used to describe how people from these regions make their beans meal. It is, however, more peculiar to the Togolese and Cotonou people.

Ewa Agoyin was introduced into the Nigerians’ diet by the migrating Agoyin people, who came to Nigeria as early as far back as the sixties. It became more popular in the 80s’, until its fame and craving for it began to dissipate in the mid-nineties.

One of the special things about Ewa Agoin was the way it cut across all the social strata or economic classes in the Lagos metropolis. It is a meal, arguably loved by all, the poor, the middle class and the rich, cheap, but definitely unique; a perfect escape for the boring Nigerian method of preparing beans. According to its lovers, even people, who did not ordinarily like beans professed love for Ewa Agoyin. Some people preferred to combine with yam, others preferred garri sprinkled on it, some others chose dodo (fried plantain), ranging on personal preference.

The most popular combination was, however, with the equally famous Agege bread especially when freshly baked, soft and slightly stretchy (Ewa Agoyin was probably the reason behind the Agege bread’s fame too).

Recounting her love for Ewa Agoyin, United States of America (USA) based Adebisi Shodare said, “the first time I ate Ewa Agoyin was at a cousin’s place at Bariga. I was about six years old then and it always made me want to go to their place every holiday I had. And then, when I was old enough, I would drive all the way down from Ikoyi to Bariga just to buy Ewa Agoyin. Having relocated from Nigeria for a while now, I miss it so much.”

Preferring her Ewa Agoyin with fried plantain, Adebisi added that, “whenever I visit Nigeria, I search everywhere for it and make sure I eat a lot of it before leaving the country again.”

However, the food had, over the years, surprisingly suffered a huge decline not only in popularity but in the savouring taste it offered back then. Mrs Janet Samuel, a Nigeria-based Togolese, who sells Ewa Agoyin at Ebute-Metta, said it was more popular back then because it was usually hawked and the hawkers could easily access the nooks and crannies.

“At some point,” she added, “we began to get arrested for hawking and we had to stop. We still hawk it very early in the mornings or late in the evenings, to avoid getting arrested. It is our major source of survival here in Nigeria, so we take the risk,” she said.

Asked on the recipe for the meal, particularly the sauce, which is the basic uniqueness of Ewa Agoyin, Janet, after a little reluctance shared, “we make the stew with seedlings from red pepper only, it is usually grinded together with ginger. This is then poured into hot boiling palm oil, salt is added, you allow it to fry for a while, when its almost done, already sliced onions are poured into it to for flavour and aroma, stir the stew till well fried and that’s it,” she said.

For the preparation of the beans which is much easier, brown beans is cooked till it gets really soft and then mashed with a pestle, according to Janet. Speaking with Dede, who is from Cotonu, she said that she does not mash the whole beans together in the pot but mashes a portion that is about to be served/sold.

The sauce preparation recipe was, however, same.

Asked if it was peculiar to any part of Togo, she said it was a general meal in her country, just the way rice is eaten here.

Asiata, another Togolese who is based in Nigeria and sells Ewa Agoyin, said that the change or decline in the taste of the food was not because the original makers of the meal were no longer up to the task but that there were a lot of Nigerians who now also make it for sale and were incapable of preparing it as well as the Agoyins will, try as they might.

“A lot of people, especially Yorubas in Nigeria, have also delved into the Ewa Agoyin business and they are not getting it right. We were born into it, they are only trying to imitate but really cannot get it as perfectly as a Togolese would prepare it,” Asiata proudly said.

According to Mrs Titilola Osho, the decline in the popularity of Ewa Agoyin was because of the arrival of more varieties of food over the years, “back then, meals like rice was sort of like a special meal, taken on Sundays or during parties or special occasions,” but now, she added it had become the everyday meal of the average Nigerian on a daily basis.

She added that the popularity it used to enjoy was because it was one of the fastest meals you could get around but that the arrival of the two-minute noodles and several other fast meals also contended with Ewa Agoyin in that regards, generally weakening its hold on the diet of Lagosians.

Seun, a medical doctor’s opinion on the decline of Ewa Agoyin and Agege bread’s popularity could also be attached to the awareness given Nigerians on the dangerous chemical, bromate, put in the bread by bakers to make it puffed, which, according to research could cause blindness.

“Whenever I bought Agege bread back then, the next thing that came to my mind was getting Ewa Agoyin to back it up, but since the bromate awareness in Agege Bread, I stopped buying it, so Ewa Agoyin gradually faded from my mind. But I have to admit that I still miss that combination very much”, he said.

In a lot of ways, this is quite true and there are certainly many people out there who, having diverted from taking the Agege bread, had Ewa Agoyin gradually faded from their minds.

In Babatunde’s opinion, just like almost every other thing being produced in Nigeria which is fast losing value, so has the Ewa Agoyin delicacy, as it is no longer as popular as it used to be back then.

It is worthy of note that the deteriorating Nigerian economy may also be responsible for the gradual fading of the Ewa Agoyin and Agege bread, because, as mentioned earlier, it was a meal for the poor. The Agege bread is now bought at the rate of N40 against what used to sold back then for 20 naira. Those times you could still buy N5 Ewa Agoyin but that is no more, because the least you can get is N20 which is about the same quantity as what used to be sold for N5 or even less.

Ewa Agoyin may no longer be ubiquitous as it used to be and getting it may be more difficult now, but it is one meal that will always remain in the hearts of Lagosians. If you never had the opputunity (or luck) to eat EwaAgoyin and Agege bread, hopefully, Lagosians claim that it won’t go into full extinction and you may be lucky enough to taste it someday.
source(http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/9543-ewa-agoyin-and-agege-bread-the-fading-delicacy-of-lagosians)

i remember those days, when ewa agoyin and agege bread was a morning ritual, i missed those good old days of lagos......abuja is not just as swagalicious as lagos

AGEGE BREAD IS NASTY. WENT TO THIS WOMANS SHOP TO HAVE A LOOK AT THIS HIGHLY FAVORED AGEGE BREAD THAT NIGERIANS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT. JUST THE LOOK ALONE PUT ME OFF. LOOKS VERY WHITE AND UNHEALTHY. I AM MORE INTO SEEDED BROWN WHOLEMEAL SPROUTED BREAD.

Remember back in the days, when this delicacy is a morning ritual.

two much delicious whem iam in lag gone are those days.

obadiah777: AGEGE BREAD IS NASTY. WENT TO THIS WOMANS SHOP TO HAVE A LOOK AT THIS HIGHLY FAVORED AGEGE BREAD THAT NIGERIANS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT. JUST THE LOOK ALONE PUT ME OFF. LOOKS VERY WHITE AND UNHEALTHY. I AM MORE INTO SEEDED BROWN WHOLEMEAL SPROUTED BREAD.

Shatttaap! Keep your crappy seeded brown wholemeal bread to yourself. We are eating Agege Bread and we are still living.

obadiah777: AGEGE BREAD IS NASTY. WENT TO THIS WOMANS SHOP TO HAVE A LOOK AT THIS HIGHLY FAVORED AGEGE BREAD THAT NIGERIANS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT. JUST THE LOOK ALONE PUT ME OFF. LOOKS VERY WHITE AND UNHEALTHY. I AM MORE INTO SEEDED BROWN WHOLEMEAL SPROUTED BREAD.

URE HERE AGAIN! U DEMENTED PARROT

Fogman: Remember back in the days, when this delicacy is a morning ritual.

Shite go dey hold u wella 4 bus

semid4lyfe: Damn!

I miss Lagos like crazy

When I was still Lag-based, I used to take a longer route home everyday just so I could branch at Iya David's joint on Ilaje Road in Bariga to arrange Ewa Agoyin with Bread. YES, I was that addicted "jazzed".

The joint was just a wooden shed and in very local area but I swear you go testify if you chop her agoyin beans.

Here wey I dey, na only rice, assorted soups + akpu/garri, indomie, pap, okpa etc dem dey offer. What wouldn't I give to taste ewa agoyin again

@ op ds ur topic no get head clik like if u tin so

guy me I No dey miss Agonyin and bread at all....I live in HOusTon Tx. there's this lady that makes it daily then i just branch sammy bakery , pick up "agege-like" bread go home slam the thing...with nice ICE-TEA....minutes later your guy dey snooooozeee.....but i feel you though. love the meal die.

O •̸Ϟ•̸¥ God......- realy missed ewa agoyin....
Agege bread+ ewa agoyin + aColdbigpepsi...
Balance diet to Bad....

apacheguy: i remember those days, when ewa agoyin and agege bread was a morning ritual, i missed those good old days of lagos......abuja is not just as swagalicious as lagos

But you have Kirishi and Fura de nunu at your disposal. Make do with them nah.

Does anyone know how to make ewa agonyi, please post it before it goes extinct. 2wk ago I almost drove around Lagos to find the meal, I had to find out if they were on strike

Lilimax:
Shatttaap! Keep your crappy seeded brown wholemeal bread to yourself. We are eating Agege Bread and we are still living.

STILL LIVING TILL YOU KEEL OVER AT THE AGE OF 40 FROM CLOGGED UP BOWELS FROM ALL THE REFINED WHITE FLOUR

not for me

i just cant imagine how people find that thing delicious

Babzilla:
URE HERE AGAIN! U DEMENTED PARROT

ALL THIS BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE GOTTA STOP

well, its not available in the rich people zone because good food is not meant for the rich people. good food is for the poor. we enjoy it daily at Osodi, Ajegunle, Bariga, Somolu, Mushin and many more hoodlums. All the rich knows to eat is fatty food. but we poor eats balanced diet. check out the combination
beans.... rich in protein
bread, yam or garry.... rich in carborhydrate
the stew....... rich in ion
plantain....... rich in vitamins
the oil........ rich in fat
and the accossories are not left out such as kpomo, bone marrow etc.
I LOVE EWA AGANYIN

I miss it real bad

Yummy

Me likey anything beans + bread combo! Especially just after smashing weights in the gym, and it definitely gotta be freakingly fast digesting white bread too!!

Obiaghelli which one be you drove around LAGOS for hours and couldnt find ewa-agoyin? abeg if na play make you stop because me I go dey Lagos by this weekend and it wont be funny if I know eat agoyin first thing Sunday morning before mass....LOL..i go vex petition FASHOLA or go Niger republic go issue visa sharp sharp to anyone wey go come trade the thing..habaaaa cant let agoyin go into extinction...

Ewa agoyin , i miss d delicacy

I just chop am finish like 30 mins ago. The feeling is heavenly. If u come add those fried fish egg to am, come balance am with one cold Pepsi. Make Fried rice and those oda oyibo medemede go die abeg.

Ewa Agoyin and bread or Yam rockssssssssssssss

debetmx:

Shite go dey hold u wella 4 bus

Hahahahaha........i no fit remember if ewa agoyin don eva make m shit lyk dat, but bro, d beans make sense no b small....u need to hav a taste

Lilimax:
Shatttaap! Keep your crappy seeded brown wholemeal bread to yourself. We are eating Agege Bread and we are still living.

Are you sure? Look at the high mortality rates in this country with people dying through ''mysterious'' illness, partly on account of food like Agege bread in a country with abject food safety monitoring.

Lilimax:
Shatttaap! Keep your crappy seeded brown wholemeal bread to yourself. We are eating Agege Bread and we are still living.

Pls tell d goat.

This post sure brings memory of those 'ewa agonyin' days.

Good thing for me, I dont have to fantasise about 'ewa agonyin' anymore as the caterer that offers canteen services at my workplace has it on her menu once weekly.

I have never made a mistake of NOT ordering it since it was included on the menu.

what i do is microwave the bread small, making it super soft then relocate the ewa agoyin, oil and all in the centre, i will now make a well deserved mug of hot chocolate - HEAVEN absolute HEAVEN, as in i can't share it oh , I'd rather buy you yours because i made mine with love and dedication

During my secondary school days, we called it burger. The sellers were always together, we would buy the bread and split it into two equal parts and we would ask the bean seller to sell ewa agonyin in the middle of the split bread..#Omo you go fear sandwich#

the_ripper2: I just chop am finish like 30 mins ago. The feeling is heavenly. If u come add those fried fish egg to am, come balance am with one cold Pepsi. Make Fried rice and those oda oyibo medemede go die abeg.

Ewa Agoyin and bread or Yam rockssssssssssssss

CORRECT.