Including Acha in the meals for my toddlers was almost a smash. I wrote ‘almost’ because my older tolerates it while the younger loves it especially when it is prepared as a pudding and milk is added to it. So I tried something different with Acha. The other adults are still weary of it although they tolerate it.
I am stuck on this grain because I feel it has the potential to be the Quinoa of Africa. It is a very nutritious grain that I hope would one day have a royalty status. The only glitch in the whole story is the processing to remove sand from it. The good news is that technology can conquer this problem and Acha can achieve a national staple status if it is very well promoted, production is increased and acceptability of the products from it also increases. After all, rice was not always a staple in Nigeria.
I made this Acha meal by blending different fruits and vegetables – green peas, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic – together. I blended the vegetables to ensure that my sons can eat them without noticing them. I garnished the meal with some vegetables to make it look good for them. I also included boiled Titus fish (Atlantic Mackerel) for protein and a little blended dried shrimps (commonly called crayfish) to improve the flavor. I prepared it as a pottage and it was really good.
