Joann Anokwuru - Secretary Variety is the Spice of Life
Alexandra Anokruwu (Joann’s daughter), Joann Anokwuru, and Constance Kenine (Joann’s mother)
“Africans, you have the permission to celebrate your roots and your heritage again. Go on and heal your bodies with your traditional herbs. And teach your children the secrets of your ancestors. Your ancestors lived well—with little or nothing. They were self-sufficient. Yet, they were the happiest. Embrace the secrets of your traditions again. You are safe and free.”
As I celebrate my roots and heritage with the tangible memory of food, I start with this quote, “Variety they say, is the spice of life.” I decided to move to Vancouver Canada, Vancouver, as an international student from Nigeria. When you look at the world globe, you would think I was travelling out of this planet because this was a 24-hour in my search for knowledge and variety. I need the North American variety in my educational journey.
This search for educational variety opened me to a place of culture shock. I remember taking that flight from Amsterdam to Vancouver, realizing no one looked like me on the flight, colour, locks, and more, and my anxiety level spiked. Reality hit me because it became so obvious that I was a “stand-alone” individual… using this adjective to define me. I will end the portion of this story here, for now, as I am going to focus on my heritage journey as someone who loves to cook, with tangible memories from my mother and grandmother.
As someone who loves to cook, especially Nigerian, local dishes, the spices go a long way in giving the good a distinct aroma and taste. In my search for some of these Nigerian spices, that was another shock because I could not get them as easily as I craved for home cooking. How am I able to cook my “ofe nsala” without the spices? How am I able to bring out the delicacies again without the spices, how do you make pepper soup without the local spice? How are you able to cook Oha, Okazi and ogbono soups without the soup thickeners such as ede, offor and achi? This soup thickener adds more finesse, glamour and finger-licking sweetness to the food.
As an African woman, these spices make my kitchen and my cooking complete. I owe the legacy of my cooking expertise to my mother, Constance, and my late grandmother, Winifred, who passed on these culinary skills. I will be passing on this style of cooking to my son and daughter and generations to come.