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Much Ado About Yam

@muchadoaboutyam

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Documenting yam architectures and history across the black diaspora
Research by @maya_raji
Funded by @archleague @nyscouncilonthearts

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This all started with a craving for one of my favorite things to eat: fried yam. I had seen a video posted by @9jafoodie about how expensive yams have become in Canada, and how most of the yams she saw at the grocery store were rotting. It made me feel a little sad because yam is something I can’t easily buy at my local grocery store. While I saw other varieties, I couldn’t find the specific type I grew up eating in Nigeria.
Then, I remembered the time I lived in Boston and my aunt in LA asked me to mail her yams that I bought during my bimonthly tropical market runs. It might seem crazy, but it was more convenient for me to ship them to her than for her to try to buy them locally. It is a simple yet poignant example of how far we are willing to go to maintain a connection to home.
In my prolonged period of intense nostalgia, I became curious about the history of the yam. I discovered so much about its significance in many Black traditions and the humongous yam barn structures in Eastern Nigeria. Since then, I’ve looked at the tuber very differently. As I continue to eat yams whenever I come across them, I find myself digging further—tracing their uses and exploring their potential offerings for architecture.

#yam #africanfood #blackfood #blackdiaspora #muchadoaboutyam taken in New York, New York by @muchadoaboutyam

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8 months ago