When analyzing mouth-watering delicacies that are popular with people of the Yoruba ethnic stock amongst the notable ones are eba with egusi, or gbegiri and efo riro, ewa goin and of course, amala with ewedu soup. These are prepared with the addition of red ball pepper, spices and different protein – rich fish,red meat and at other times with the cooked cow skin called kpomo. They could be make people to salivate, can they not?
Of course, they can. And interestingly there is a well- groomed chef passionately promoting, as well as popularising and projecting them right here in Nigeria with the noble aim to showcase them to the global space. He is none other than Olorunsomo Smart Adeola,aka Alamala the CEO of Amala Spot who is highly dedicated to his vision of promoting indigenous Nigerian cuisines and their nutritional power to the world stage.
In fact , his love for traditional food inspired him to establish Amala Spot tagged Adeola Alamala, a restaurant dedicated to preserving and celebrating local delicacies. He is a graduate of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, from the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Department of Histopathology.
Beyond food, Adeola is a social media influencer, chef, and writer, using his platforms to share culture, wellness, and creativity with a wider audience.
In response to the question of what gave him the inspiration to go into the food business, when and where he has this to say: “I have always been a good cook right from when I was a young boy. The inspiration to venture into the business started formally in Ekpoma, Edo state, precisely on October 22, 2023. And since then I have been selling amala, ewedu gbegiri and other Yoruba meals, But with regards to Amala and ewedu, I have been the major seller ever since.”
On his initial challenges it included that of getting customers and dealing with high cost of items needed to cook from the market, with constant pushing of the business. Said he: “I was able to break the barriers of getting customers even when I still pushed on social media to gain more customers.
While his training programs include online courses, and buying of book his marketing strategies involve using the social media, through events, individuals referrals and he has written a book titled: “How to manage Diabetes With Amala”.
So far, his partnerships are with some trusted individuals, as he is reaching out hoping for brands partnerships too. though. On how he is weathering the economic storm his response is that: ” I always get to work alongside what we have so we don’t end up been disturbed by the cost and not to be on the loosing end.As a food vendor that’s basically on locally made Yoruba dishes, I wll be glad if government can invest in my brand and enlarge it, because that’s a way to encourage me more”. That is what he wants the government to do for him as citizen of this country.
With regards to the piece of advice ge has for the youths who want to venture into food business he stares that: ” Just keep pushing and don’t stop giving a great taste of your meal”. And on his plans for the future and how he relaxes he explains that he wants to have different outlets around the world selling Amala and ewedu with other Yoruba delicious meals.
On the nutritional benefits of amala it is a source of energy because of carbohydrates, and since it posseses dietary fibre it supports digestion and gut health.The presence of vitamin C and minerals such as potassium and magnesium, makes it to boost immunity and overall health.The combination of àmàlà with different soups can contribute to a variety of nutrients in your diet.
When made from yam or plantain flour, àmàlà is naturally gluten-free, making it suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.The unique combination of carbohydrates and fibre makes you to feel full and satisfied while its presentation at ceremonies such as birthday and wedding parties promotes its socio-cultural culinary values across the West African sub-region’s traditional landscape
