Hospitality
The Efik is an ethnic
group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria, in the southern part of Cross
River state. They make up a significant number of the Calabar people, they
generally speak the Efik language and their signature soup is ‘Edikang Ikong’.
The Efik people have an interesting culture that unfortunately most people
don’t know about. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5
interesting facts about the Efik people.
Descendants
of Israel
You probably wouldn’t have guessed this, but the Efik
people are believed to be of Hebrew origin. Although, there are some accounts
that suggest that they are of Bantu origin, they are generally believed to have
originated from the Orient, precisely from Palestine.
The
Ekombi Dance
The Efik might be a
minority tribe, but there’s definitely nothing minor about their rich cultural
heritage. One of the ways this rich cultural heritage manifests is through the
Ekombi dance, a colourful dance that is beautiful, precise and said to be a rhythmic
adaptation of the movement of sea waves.
Language
Efik was one of the
earliest Nigerian languages with its original orthography devised in 1812 by
King Eyo Nsa Honesty. It was one of the first three Nigerian languages to be
codified with its own orthography and grammar. It was also one of the first
Nigerian languages used in translating the Holy Bible.
The
Fattening Room
The famous Fattening Room
practice is another interesting cultural feature associated with the Efik
people. Here, virgins were overfed, massaged and made to sleep for hours to
become the perfect robust bride. It’s an all-round training and beauty therapy
carried out over a period of time to prepare the lady for marriage and
womanhood. A modified version of this is still practiced today considering
today’s ‘fit fam’ frenzy.
The
love of Edikang Ikong
The Edkiang Ikong is a
mouth-watering nutritious vegetable soup that originated among the Efik-Ibibio
people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River state in southeastern Nigeria. It’s
considered a delicacy among many Nigerians and widely eaten all over Nigeria.
It’s rather expensive to prepare however, and it’s described as a soup mostly
eaten by the rich people in Nigeria.
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