Iru (food)

Irú (Yoruba) locust beans (English) or Eware (Edo) is a type of fermented and processed locust beans (Parkia biglobosa) used as a condiment in cooking. It is similar to ogiri and douchi. It is very popular among the Yoruba people and Edo people of Nigeria. It is used in cooking traditional soups like egusi soup, okro soup (ILA), Ewedu soup, and ogbono soup.

Iru production


Among the Manding-speaking people of West Africa irú is known as sumbala. The Yorubas classify iru into two types:


 * Irú Wooro is used mostly in vegetable soups like Efo Riro, Egusi soup, Ofada sauce, Ayamashe, Buka stew, Obe ata, Ila Asepo, etc.
 * Irú pẹ̀tẹ̀ is used in making ewedu and egusi soup.

During fermentation, the reducing sugar content increases, and the total free amino acid content initially decreases; in the end, however, there is a large increase in free amino acid content.