Pretty Thursday isn’t it? Can’t believe we are entering the sixth month of the year on Saturday. How time flies! I had a conversation recently with someone that made think about whether what we consume should either be tasty or healthy. He is Igbo by tribe and as telling him I made Oha soup (a popular soup in Igbo land) for the first time ever. Our conversation went like this:
Me: I made the Oha soup as I said I would
Anon: Oh really? How did it turn out?
Me: It came out well. I was surprised how easy it was as I followed the recipe
Anon: Yes. It’s that easy. It’s the same way you make other soups.
Me: Really? I am not sure I completely agree. For instance, some people fry Egusi first in hot oil before adding other ingredients. It’s also the same method used for some other vegetables they cook. But Oha, Onugbu and other soups Igbos cook has a different method – boiling the meat first before putting in the oil as it’s cooking.
Anon: Agreed. But don’t they taste the same?
Me: They definitely don’t taste the same!
This made me think more about the difference in terms of taste, health benefits and time consumption between the two methods. Before we analyse that, let’s talk about frying food with oils.
Varela et al., 1988 defined frying as a cooking method in which fat or oil is used as the heat transfer medium, in direct contact with the food. After doing a little research, I discovered four basic frying methods. The difference majorly lies in the amount of oil used.
- Deep frying- Here, the food is completely submerged into hot oil for frying. This simply means that a lot of oil under very high temperature is used.
- Shallow frying- The oil is not as much as while deep frying. The food is only partially submerged in the oil. Meat, fish can be shallow fried.
- Stir-Frying: This is a technique that was originated in China. It is healthier because it uses a very little amount of hot oil which is almost invisible after adding the foods such as veggies, meats to fry. Constantly stirring is also done while frying with this method.
- Sautéing: This uses a little amount of oil in a sauté pan over very high heat. This is a good way to enhance the flavour of your food.
As one who has cooked and eaten both steamed/boiled foods and also fried ones, I can BOLDLY tell you that fried food tastes better! I’ll give three examples. When you boil raw chicken, it has a soft taste with all the flavours infused and evident. If you choose to deep fry it, it’s crispier with improved infused flavours, has a longer shelf life and sweeter than when cooked. Raw pepper after it is ground and cooked with oil tastes differently from when it is fried directly.
These are some differences in cooking methods that either enhances flavours or reduce it and we wonder why Iya Bashira’s food tastes better (They don’t have the time to boil first before frying their pepper). These women have cooked for a long time probably watching their grandmothers cook and understand the tricks to tastier foods.
My last example is what inspired me to write this post which is Egusi soup. When you first fry your onions and iru (locust beans) in hot palm oil, the kitchen will be full of the nice aroma coming from the pot. Though I have tried the other method which is also nice when cooked, I think the former brings out the flavours of the food in a sharper and sweeter way.
‘Healthy’ is a very important factor to consider before cooking and eating a meal. Every time we cook, there is some degree of nutrient loss and this differs by method of cooking. For instance, steaming instead of boiling (which requires a longer time and heat) reduces the amount of nutrient loss lesser than boiling. While frying food is more likeable, experts say that some compounds become volatile when frying and this on the long run can increase the risk of diabetes, heart sicknesses and obesity.
In conclusion, nutritionists and experts advice that depending on the type of food, cooking methods such as frying, steaming, and boiling should be used interchangeably. Because we have a particular method does not mean we shouldn’t welcome other methods of cooking especially with the rise of different terminal illnesses. So, I would advise myself and you, my dear friend to be mindful of what we consume which first begins with the way we cook it!
