The occasion was marked with lots of cultural festivities, rites and abundant African menu. The special highlights of the occasion were: The award of the best African dressed ladies and Gentlemen, The presentation of the Okonko cultural Dance and the Afro-Brazilian Show.



For the Igbos, the occasion of Iri-ji (eating of the new yam) is a cultural festival of great significance. In each of the individual farm-communities, this special occasion is used to mark the eating of the new yam. In Igboland, this day of feasting ushers in not only the yam harvest season and bids farewell to the cultivation period, but is also a thanksgiving day.

Mr Oguike the President of the Igbo community in France, the star guest at the occasion, described "the new yam festival, in our tradition, as the culmination of a work cycle and the beginning of another."

During the festival people in the community use the occasion to thank God for the arrival of the new harvest of yams (a time of plenty: a contrast to the farming season) and perform traditional special rites to declare the new yam fit for general consumption. It presents the right conditions for all and sundry, family and friends to come together and demonstrate their commitment and solidarity to the local institutions.

In Igbo communities the solemn role of eating the first yam is performed by the oldest man in the community or the king, as the case may be. The belief is that their position bestows on them the privilege of being intermediaries between their communities and the gods of the land. The rituals that attend the new yam eating are meant to express the community's appreciation to the gods for making the harvest-yields possible.

The intrusion of Christianity notwithstanding, customarily, Igbo traditionalists and title holders are not expected to taste the new yam until the new yam festival is celebrated.

At the new yam festival, dishes of yam are served along with other African dishes since the festival is symbolic for abundance and the onset of a new life circle.

What are yams?

Yams are vegetable root crops (tubers) native to Africa grown in tropical regions around the world, Though many think they closely resemble sweet potatoes, yams are not related in anyway to the sweet potatoes.

Classification of Yams:

Yams belong to the family Dioscoreacea, and are tubers most often grown on a tropical vine. The word "yam" is African for the phrase, "to eat." hence the derivative: "yom-yom"

There are 150 different varieties of yams, including the air-potato, the only true yam cultivated in the United States and in some southern countries of Europe .

A large, esculent, farinaceous tuber of various climbing plants of the genus Dioscorea; also, the plants themselves. Mostly natives of warm climates. The plants have netted-veined, petioled leaves, and pods with three broad wings. The commonest species is D.sativa, but several others are cultivated.

Chinese yam: This is a plant (Dioscorea Batatas) with a long and slender tuber, harder than most of the other species.

Wild yam: (a) A common plant (Dioscorea villosa) of the Eastern United States , having a hard and knotty rootstock. (b) An orchidaceous plant (Gastrodia sesamoides) of Australia and Tasmania .

Growing Conditions:

Yam plants bear thick tubers, with an alternating climbing stems with leaves, and sometimes flowers. The greater majority of yam plants are grown in warm regions of the tropics. In Africa and New Guinea , the yam is the primary agricultural commodity. In the United States , sweet potatoes outnumber yam plants and consumption.

Physical Appearance:

Yams vary in size, shape and flavour by species. The flesh of the yam can be white, yellow, pink or purple. Some yams are sweet, some are tasteless, and others are bitter. Some varieties of yams grow up to 7 feet in length, and can weigh up to 150 pounds.

Versatile, edible, Vegetable crop:

Yams are a versatile vegetable, which is easy to prepare and cook. All varieties of yams can be boiled, grilled, fried, roasted or baked.

Buying Yams:

Imported Yam tubers from Africa are available and sold today worldwide in most Afro shops especially in the USA and Europe . Because most varieties of yams are large in size, it is rare to find whole yams in any produce section in North America . Look for yams which are free of blemishes and bruises, and have tight, unwrinkled skins. The flesh of the yam should feel firm.

Storing Yams:

Yams should be stored in a cool, dark, dry area. They can be safely kept for up to two weeks. Uncooked yams should never be refrigerated. Cooked yams can be refrigerated for 3 days.