Steemit Engagement Challenge S5/W4 - Special Food For Dinner Parties

Good day steaming Steemians, I am hopeful we are all doing great today. I'm glad to participate in this contest as firstly, I get to learn new amazing recipes and equally engage in the share of culinary culture.

Dinner parties are a very great moments and environments where we not only get to meet new people, network, make merry but also a place where we get to discover, experience and taste different savors; I trust what our African cultural diversity can offer in terms of food.

Cameroon my country has more than 240 ethnic groups having each different meals specific to them with most ethnic groups having more than four dishes to their credit. You can therefore imagine how colorful and enticing a dinner party table would look like, for example a wedding dinner party.

_{Picture Source Modified by me on Canva}

One of such dishes and that which I'll talk about is the famous and delicious Eru which can be accompanied either with water fufu (mashed fermented cassava roots), or garri (granulated cassava roots).

_{Raw Eru leaves [Source](https://images.app.goo.gl/zKgBsfs97Tet3k6E9)}

_{Eru & Water fufu [Source](https://images.app.goo.gl/Hp4rXRxEwNJDBPHw5)}

Eru is a great choice for a dinner party because the leaves used to cook eru cuts across several ethnic groups, though prepared differently aswell. It will therefore be very welcomed by many. Its not complicated to cook and being a vegetable, it's perfect to be consumed at dinner since it will be easily digested, and lastly because its very delicious😋.

Eru leaves are a very rich source of dietary fibre which helps facilitate the passing of food through the bowels and hence, easy elimination. Most often when people return from a trip abroad where their diet wasn't the best, they would usually request to have eru so as to facilitate the cleansing of their bowels.

The palm oil used to cook the meal is a rich source of Vitamine A which is great for eye sight. Palm oil also helps to prevent cancer, brain diseases and premature aging.

Crayfish is also an inescapable ingredient rich in calcium and magnesium. These minerals assist in making the bones, teeth and muscles stronger.

Stock fish or any other dried tasty fish could equally be added. Stock fish is rich in Vitamin B12 and selenium that both help to prevent colon cancer. Equally rich in Omega 3, stock fish helps to boost brain performance, improving memory and focus.

Beef and "kanda" (cow skin) are equally a part of the meal. Beef is rich in proteins which helps to build up body tissues while kanda is rich in collagen that helps to hold bones and tissues together.

Eru is actually one of my favorite😋 meals and yes I have had to cook it severally. I must say I do a great job at it😊 and you will not regret it if you ate this dish made by me👌.

_{Eru and Water fufu cooked by myself}

Eru, though being the major staple food of the Bayangi ethnic group of the South West region of Cameroon, is equally prepared in other regions, like the North West,Littoral and Center regions. Therefore the ingredients will vary accordingly, bringing about diverse tastes and appreciations. Below are some major ingredients that could cut across the different groups;

• Water leaves or spinach
• Eru leaves (fresh or dried)
• Cray fish
• Beef
• Stock fish/ dried fish
• kanda (cow skin)
• Pepper (red or yellow or both)
• Green onions (optional for additional flavoring). I definitely add it when I cook
• Maggi cubes (seasoning cubes)
• Salt to taste

The fact that people and loved ones leave their occupations, put on their best to grace an occasion, like a wedding, means that they cherish and hold the organizers at heart. It's therefore courteous as a host to equally put out the best especially in terms of food amongst other things to receive them. Food, most especially good food shows how much you are grateful as a host towards your guest for honouring your occasion. Good food can only print out smiles draw out appreciations as the guests savor the different dishes. The dinner moment is quite an anticipated moment as the guests have the opportunity to refill from the days long merry and tiring activities of the occasion. They profit to chit-chat, connect and network during this moment. The mixed aromas of the food adds another spice to the atmosphere and the brain has a way of always remembering such pleasant moments. Food varieties at such events will equally make many especially foreigners to discover new dishes and mix with other cultural heritages. A wedding occasion without food could be likened to a church service without the choir.

Dear Steemians, I hope you had a great time reading through this piece and to those who are learning about the eru meal for the first time, I hope your mouth is watering 🤤. I would highly recommend that you try it when you have the chance and I pray that in your very first try, you should fall in the hands of a great eru cook.

Have a blessed day as I invite @chiabertrand, @elvina-b, @metugejacy20, @monjuapollonia, @nuahfabian and @wyzcekunited to join me in this contest.