State Of knowledge for gari/eba in Nigeria. Food Science, Gender & Market

There is a diverse range of preferences of gari and eba related to ethnicity and socio-economic status. In general, processing is largely conducted by women. Processing and preparation steps differs according to variation in regional and ethnic preferences. South West (SW) consumers generally like a soft, low elasticity eba and a sour and an off-white, ivory, butter-like color for gari. Greyish gari is least liked, but is less expensive. Gari and eba are usually “cooked” less long, prepared by ending with adding hot water to gari. South South (SS) and South East (SE) consumers generally prefer hard, elastic eba and non-sour, white or yellow gari, the latter achieved from the addition of palm oil, which in turn might reduce storability. “cooking is longer” This is usually prepared by adding the gari to boiling water. SS like eba and gari can connect to the needs of specific occupations: In SW construction workers prefer a SS like eba, it takes more time before they get hungry again. Some food science expert key informants state that unfermented gari and eba have a lower glycemic index than fermented gari/eba. This needs clarification. It seems it is mainly the difference in cooking time/rehydration that creates the difference. Varieties with low starch may affect a gari that is traditionally cooked for a short time (SW): after preparation there will not be enough rehydration of the starch to make the eba hold together well. Also, higher dry matter and starch provide more gari yield. However the drawability and hardness of the eba seems majorly determined by the way eba is made: longer cooking means more rehydration and complete gelatinization and a harder more drawing eba. Sun drying to complete the drying of gari after roasting (SouthWest) effects the color as fermentation continues during sun drying. Swelling of gari is important: the higher bulk density of the gari, the higher the volume expansion from gari to eba, and the lower the bulk density the higher the vol