Ogiri

Ogiri is an umami flavored local seasoning or food condiment originating from the Yoruba people, made by the fermentation of oil bearing seeds. ^{[1] [2]}

Ogiri was traditionally made from the fermentation of egusi (melon seeds), ^[3] although there are other different types of Ogiri made from different seed substrates, such as; Sesame, castor oil beans, fluted pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, and peanuts, all produced at lower frequencies. ^{[4] : p. 4}

It is used in cooking particularly amongst Yoruba (Ijebu, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo), ^[5] and Igbo people. ^[4] Contrary to popular opinion especially amongst content creating chefs and foodies, Ogiri and Iru are not the same condiment. Ogiri is an umami flavoring made by fermenting oil seeds, such as sesame/beniseed (yọnmọti), melon, castor beans, etc, as described in the Yoruba lexicon published in the year 1843 and other sources. ^[4] Iru on the other hand is made of locust bean seeds. ^[6] This is supported by authoritative evidences from the 19th century, showing separate entries for both words in the Yoruba lexicon, long before its (Ogiri) adoption into the Igbo lexicon which ultimately suggests linguistics borrowing from the former into the latter owing to migration and cultural exchange. ^{[7] [8]}

The process and product of making Ogiri is similar to that of; Iru, douchi, and other fermented food products. Its smell is similar to cheese, miso, or stinky tofu.

Ogiri is best known in West Africa. It is popular among the Yoruba, ^[9] (Including among the Krio of Sierra Leone who call it by the same name), ^[10] and Igbo people. Ogiri as known among the Igbo people of Nigeria is different and similar to Iru Pete, which is iru in its mashed form.^{[ citation needed ]} A similar condiment known locally as Okpehe, Okpei, Okpiye, or erroneously "Ogiri Okpei" is native to the Igala and Idoma people of Nigeria's Middle Belt, it is however made from African mesquite bean seeds, specifically Anonychium. ^[4]

References

1. Dobby (2012-09-01). "Food Profile: Ogiri, Iru, Dawadawa, Okpei, Dobby's Signature". Dobby's Signature. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
2. Crowther, Samuel (1843). Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language: Part I. English and Yoruba. Part II. Yoruba and English. To which are Prefixed, the Grammatical Elements of the Yoruba Language. Church missionary society.
3. Abiodun, Olarewaju Cecilia (2019). "Awareness of the health benefits and acceptability of Ogiri made from melon and soybeans" (PDF). Journal of Sciences and Multidisciplinary Research. 11: 8. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
4. Oladeji, Oluwatoyin Ajoke; Taiwo, Kehinde Adekunbi; Ogidi, Clement Olusola; Faturoti, Adeyanmola Oluwaseyi (19 May 2025). "Production, nutritional benefits, limitations and strategies for enhancing the national value of fermented native condiments from selected legumes and wild seeds in Nigeria". Discover Food. 5 (1): 142. doi:10.1007/s44187-025-00409-3. ISSN   2731-4286 . Retrieved 13 February 2026.
5. Falegan, Christopher (2011). "MICROBIOLOGY PROFILE AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIAL ‘OGIRI’ SAMPLES FROM SOUTH-WESTERN, NIGERIA". Journal of microbiology, biotechnology and food sciences. 1 (2): 187–203. ISSN   1338-5178 . Retrieved 13 February 2026.
6. Adekoya, Ifeoluwa; Obadina, Adewale; Phoku, Judith; De Boevre, Marthe; De Saeger, Sarah; Njobeh, Patrick (1 August 2018). "Fungal and mycotoxin contamination of fermented foods from selected south african markets". Food Control. 90: 295–303. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.02.040. ISSN   0956-7135 . Retrieved 13 February 2026.
7. Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language, 1843, London: Henry Bohn, Ogiri (accessed [date of access]).
8. Steinkraus, Keith (4 May 2018). Handbook of indigenous fermented foods. CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-351-44251-0. OCLC   1063700107.
9. Adedeji, Bamidele S.; Ezeokoli, Obinna T.; Ezekiel, Chibundu N.; Obadina, Adewale O.; Somorin, Yinka M.; Sulyok, Michael; Adeleke, Rasheed A.; Warth, Benedikt; Nwangburuka, Cyril C.; Omemu, Adebukola M.; Oyewole, Olusola B.; Krska, Rudolf (3 October 2017). "Bacterial species and mycotoxin contamination associated with locust bean, melon and their fermented products in south-western Nigeria". International Journal of Food Microbiology. pp. 73–80. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2017.07.014 . Retrieved 13 February 2026.
10. Falola, Toyin; Childs, Matt D. (2 May 2005). The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World. Indiana University Press. p. 396. ISBN   978-0-253-00301-0 . Retrieved 13 February 2026.