Just the mere mention of these words makes my heart skip a beat. Yes o, this particular dish is more than just a meal to me. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride that takes me on a journey of pure nostalgia, excess comfort, and over joy.
You might be wondering why I woke up on a Monday morning to write about Roasted yam and plantain. Well that's because I had this sumptuous filling meal yesterday.
This is one meal that any time I sink my teeth into its crispy, golden-brown nectar, I'm transported back to my childhood memories of the lazy Saturdays on Christmas, spent together with extended families visiting. There would be my cousin's and their parents, uncles and aunties all lounging in our sun-drenched backyard of my family home, their memories all coming flooding back. I guess the memories it's what makes this dish special to me or not.
I can hear my moms laughter, the smell of sizzling oil, onions and garlic, and the sound of sizzling yams and plantains on the grill. Mehn, it's usually a sensory overload.
Maybe it's not just the memories that makes this dish a favourite dish so much. Because if I'm to talk about the taste, the texture, the sheer delight of it all! The way the sweetness of the yams and plantains mingles with the savoury flavour of the oil, onions and spices, to create a flavour bomb that explodes in my mouth with every bite. It's usually like heaven relocated to my mouth.
And then, I won't forget to talk about another thing I love most about this popular roadside dish. And it is the way this dish brings people together. Just the way you're seeing in the picture above. I can't recall countless plates of roasted yams and plantains with friends and family, colleagues, even strangers and every time, it's like we're sharing a secret language. A language that says, "Come have a bite because I care about you, I want to feed you, I want you to feel this heavenly taste too."
And let's not forget the laughter! Oh, the laughter that we get at that roadside spot where you're trying to buy a plate of this roasted yam and plantain! The jokes, the stories, the memories we create around the table - it's a meal enjoyed by all tribes in Nigeria. So yes it's also a unifier.
I guess I would stop here because as I sit here, writing this, I'm filled with a sense of inquisitiveness on how a meal so simple, so humble, can bring me so much joy? And then I might begin to crave for a plate again.
So, to all the roasted yam and plantain lovers out there, I see you! I feel you! And to those who haven't yet discovered the joy of this dish, what are you waiting for? Come join the party! Let's laugh, let's cry, let's eat and get weight in roasted yams and plantains - and let's make some unforgettable memories along the way!