NewStats: 3,265,490 , 8,186,928 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 09:40 AM 2l537

1k206t

Where Did Garri Originate From? - Food (2) - Nairaland 2p62k

Where Did Garri Originate From? (25747 Views)

(4)

Go Down)

MrPresident1: 3:57pm On Jun 13
Ijebu is the originator of garri

Ijebu owns garri
ElSudani: 3:57pm On Jun 13
Garri most likely came from south America as well. It is processed the same way in Brazil.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeSXciUrKzw?si=p0HxE0o7Prpr0IlC

2 Likes

fmlala: 3:57pm On Jun 13
Nigeria





.....................................
CodeTemplarr: 3:58pm On Jun 13
One thing is sure, ancient equipments couldnt have processed garri. It had to be modern equipments.

3 Likes

Musty112: 3:59pm On Jun 13
The dynamics of language. I can understand when people who are not yoruba call "eba" garri but it reeks of ignorance when yoruba people do same . The same goes for people that call "eko gbigbona or akamu" "ogi". What then do you call the raw and uncooked form of blended maize and sorghum. Why don't you then call "Amala" elubo or iyan(pounded yam) isu(yam)?

1 Like

Mariangeles(f): 4:02pm On Jun 13
nlfpmod:


😂 Just looking around.


😆




The DSS are on their way. 😭😭😭
Including my village people.
Reckonsoft: 4:03pm On Jun 13
No so, idah make not even get cassava and always wait for aganegbode to get garri and fufu.

However sha, I miss idah. Lovely place

Its Agenebode please, Garri l believe originated from Edo state
obembet(f): 4:04pm On Jun 13
Garri originated from Western Nigeria, specifically among the Yoruba people. It is a staple food made from cassava tubers and has been a key part of West African cuisine for centuries.

While the Yoruba are credited with the early development and popularization of garri, its use and production spread widely across southern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, including among the Igbo, Urhobo, and Itsekiri peoples. Today, garri is consumed across the country and has regional variations, such as:

White garri (common in Yoruba and Igbo areas)

Yellow garri (often fried with palm oil, common in Delta and other parts of the Niger Delta)


So while garri is now pan-Nigerian, its roots are strongest in Southwestern Nigeria.

7 Likes

VaginaAcademic: 4:06pm On Jun 13
Dey play there's Garri in south America Farinha de Mandioca and the Caribbean Yuca grin grin
Abagworo(m): 4:09pm On Jun 13
It was the Europeans that created cassava and garri for slaves. In my lineage we've never tasted cassava and one other fake yam called Ona in Igbo because they're considered slave food and we never surrendered to slavery. In modern day people may not know since most people are now disconnected from their history.

1 Like

Silentgroper(m): 4:10pm On Jun 13
Garri is a Yoruba word ..


I don't think garri's production is specific to a particular ethnicity everyone in Nigeria seems to be involved in the production, maybe except the norths ..

2 Likes

EDGEof2MORO: 4:16pm On Jun 13
who resurrected this dead thread?

anyway, since we are talking about food. I fi ever become president of Nigeria, I will ban ewedu in my opening speech angry

...and amala. I will ban amala too

1 Like

Kemetian: 4:16pm On Jun 13
I prefer Lafun 🫠

Garri is so crude. I’ve no idea why anyone eats it.
agadez007(m): 4:16pm On Jun 13
Cassava is not originally African,it’s from South America
Many food we know today aren’t originally ours,Mango from India,Coconut from Asia,Avocado etc

1 Like

McDoe(m): 4:19pm On Jun 13
The Urhobos and Isokos are the original producers of garri. Even the modernised tying of wrapper by our women came from these tribes

1 Like

Gustavowhite(m): 4:20pm On Jun 13
McDoe:
The Urhobos and Isokos are the original producers of garri. Even the modernised tying of wrapper by our women came from these tribes
Lol
Walking also originates from them too

7 Likes

MrGerald(m): 4:22pm On Jun 13
In Igboland, we don't have any other name for garri
Casham: 4:23pm On Jun 13
The Word "Garri" means "powder" or "powdered" or by extension "flour" (Could be grounded, grated, pounded or milled).
So I will rather go with the Hausa origin.
The full name of the Cassava Garri we know in Hausa is "Garrin Rogo" or "Garrin Kwaki" ("Rogo" meaning "Cassava" and "Kwaki" in some Hausa dialects mean "Fermented" or in some other Hausa dialects"Kwaki" is a corruption of the word "Kwari', which means "tough" or dried").


So ...
Garrin Masara will mean = Maize or Corn (masara) powder
Garrin Shinkafa = Rice (shinkafa) powder
Garrin Rogo = Cassava (Rogo) powder.

But "Eba" is not a Hausa food.
In Hausa, the word is corrupted into "Teba," which actually have no meaning in the language.
We can therefore say "Garri" has its origin somewhere in northern Nigeria, but Eba is from somewhere in southern Nigeria.
Either ways, it is fully and truly Nigerian.

1 Like

Honestey: 4:24pm On Jun 13
Garri is a first aid to most ulcer patients. I suspect It must have originated from pharmacy lab as quick fix before ulcer kpai a patient. You see people always hang about with bags? Check inside, garri dey there
2mch(m): 4:24pm On Jun 13
It’s Yoruba. The slaves who went to Brazil carried it there and it’s a staple in Brazil. Infact the one in Brazil is cleaner and has smoother grains. They mix it with palm oil too. They even put it on beans like we Yoruba’s like to do. There is also plenty Akara to go with it if you want to soak it.

2 Likes

Starboytwo(m): 4:24pm On Jun 13
Garri, man's best friend

Hsksjdndknnbnndnfnfnfnfnffnff
tableshaker: 4:25pm On Jun 13
Where is April 30th 2021 post just getting to front page June 13th 2025, set traffic hold ham ni abi e enter black box

IAM4BAT4plus4: 4:25pm On Jun 13
The first garri was successfully processed in the year 1204 by the ijebu people...










It was introduced to the Igbos in 1966 when hunger wanted to wipe them out of existence no thank to Flatiron Ojuku ignited war

2 Likes

2mch(m): 4:27pm On Jun 13
Abagworo:
It was the Europeans that created cassava and garri for slaves. In my lineage we've never tasted cassava and one other fake yam called Ona in Igbo because they're considered slave food and we never surrendered to slavery. In modern day people may not know since most people are now disconnected from their history.
No. Africans formulated their own way to use Cassava. Because they already had other tubers that they use for swallow like Amala. So they are experienced in turning roots into powder. Which is how Garri came about. Garri only exists in Brazil outside of West Africa. There’s a reason for that. The Garri specie with also got is poisonous compared to other countries like even Ghana. They can boil their own cassava and eat. We cannot do that. So, lives will have even been lost before we figured out the correct and right balance to process the cassava we got.

2 Likes

Trymeee: 4:27pm On Jun 13
Meta AI don confuse, come later talk another thing.



Judging with AI saying garri in hausa means powdery food stuff, I will say the hausas created Garri.

9jaBloke: 4:27pm On Jun 13
Who re the Garri Invaders of nairaland? cheesy


My favourite monikers back then were Bvgari
& GarriNeville.

Garri is a Hausa word used to denote food in granulated form:
Garin doya- Yam flour
Garin Masara- Corn flour etc.

Eba is the Yoruba word for garri in paste/dough form after turning it in boiled water to achieve the right consistency.

The most common Igbo word for eba is gari.
'Achorom iri gari' it's mostly the igbos that are living or have lived outside the south-east that call it eba.

1 Like

sisisioge: 4:28pm On Jun 13
My sister, I no know history o but e be like say na Ijebu e come from as we have Ijebu Garri grin grin
qtx(m): 4:30pm On Jun 13
Mariangeles:
Recently, my sister asked me what language is eba?
I thought about the question for some seconds and answered I think it's Yoruba language.
Then, she asked again what then is the Igbo name for eba?
I paused, gave it some thoughts, then answered utara. (You'd relate if you grew up in the southwest)
Then it occurred to me that in most part of Igbo land, garri is not that common.
In Igbo land, it is more common to hear utara akpu for pounded cassava meal, utara ji for pounded yam meal, and utara ede for pounded cocoyam meal, but there's almost no such term as utara garri .

So, it got me wondering....

Where did garri originate from?
What region created it first?
Who knows the history of this wonderful staple that has been saving the lives of Nigerians since time immemorial? grin
Who can trace its history?
I know of garri Ijebu
I also know that the people of Delta and Edo states are known for garri production.

In my hometown, garri frying is not common.
My people prefer to turn their cassava to akpu.
I also know the people of Enugu reserve most part of their cassava produce for abacha

So guys, let's connect this link...
Is garri a staple in your hometown?

My village gang ganggggg that is where garri was first invented. And we no de play with am o

Reply)

Snake Wine: A Different Kind Of Beverage (with Pictures)

Viewing this topic: IndianRomeo

(Go Up)

Sections: How To . 51
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or s on Nairaland.