Fermented Vegetables
Iru
Ìrú
Niger
African locust beans fermented until they turn black and pungent, pressed into cakes and used a pinch at a time in soups.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Iru.
African locust beans fermented until they turn black and pungent, pressed into cakes and used a pinch at a time in soups.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
The smell is powerful and unmistakable. A small amount seasons a whole pot; it is what makes efo riro taste Yoruba.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Iru.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
Nagaland, India
Akhuni
Axone
A Naga fermented soybean paste, pungent and savoury, used to season vegetables and stews.
Chuuk State (Central FSM), Federated States of Micronesia
Apwet
Apwet is Chuukese fermented breadfruit kept for a shorter period than the longest-preserved forms, leaving a tangy, soft paste that can be cooked or served with savoury food.
North Korea
Napa Cabbage Kimchi
배추김치
The essential Korean kimchi: napa cabbage coated with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood (jeotgal), then fermented.
North Korea
White Kimchi
백김치
A non-spicy kimchi made without gochugaru, with napa cabbage, radish, pear, jujube, and pine nuts in a clear, refreshing brine.
Kaesong, North Korea
Bossam Kimchi
보쌈김치
A Kaesong specialty: spiced napa cabbage leaves folded around a filling of sliced pine nuts, apples, pears, chestnuts, and jujubes; elaborately wrapped and fermented; at the table the top is cut in a cross so the bundle opens like a flower; a celebratory and ceremonial dish from the historic city of Kaesong.
Marshall Islands
Bwiro
Bwiro is breadfruit fermented with saltwater, kneaded, baked in an earth oven, and stored as a tart preservation paste that can last through lean seasons.
South Korea
Fast-Fermented Soybean Paste
청국장
A quick-fermented soybean paste with a strong, pungent aroma and a stringy texture from Bacillus subtilis, used in stews.
South Korea
Ponytail Radish Kimchi
총각김치
Small whole radishes with their greens attached, fermented in a spicy chili paste, known for an extra-crunchy texture.