Variations in nutrients composition of most commonly consumed yam (<i>Discorea spp</i>) mixed dish in south-east Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Yam is one of the most priced and cherished root crops in South-east Nigeria being consumed on a daily basis by a good percentage of the population.

Objective: In this study, variations in nutrient composition of the most commonly consumed mixed yam dish in South-east Nigeria were determined.

Methods: Four communities were randomly selected from each of the five states in the South-east of Nigeria. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in each of the communities to determine commonly consumed yam dish and variations in recipes. A 24-hour dietary recall was also conducted using 50 randomly selected households in the selected communities. Recipes of four variations of the yam dish (variation one, variation two, variation three and variation four) collected during the FGD were standardized, prepared and chemically analysed using standard methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results: Commonly consumed yam dishes included yam and beans, yam and vegetable, oto (grated yam balls pottage), ji miri oku (yam boiled and served in spiced watery sauce) and yam pottage. Yam pottage was the most commonly consumed yam dish in South-east Nigeria. Four variations of yam pottage were documented with coefficient of variation that ranged from 10.5 to 55.6%. Sources of variation were mainly due to moisture content and number of animal protein sources used. Yam pottage prepared with crayfish and vegetable (variation 2) had the highest moisture content (80.6%) and the least energy and other proximate composition while variation 4 that was prepared with vegetable, crayfish and dry fish had the highest energy and nutrient content except for carbohydrate that was highest in variation 3 [yam pottage prepared with crayfish and without vegetable]. Yam pottage had appreciable (74- 139Kcal) energy and carbohydrate (15.3-29%) values depending on the variation but were particularly low in protein (1.8- 3.5), dietary fibre (0.27-1.04g), iron (0.35-0.76mg), zinc (0.04-0.08 mg) and vitamin A (1.36-8.31mg).

Conclusion: In South-east Nigeria, yam pottage was prepared with varied quantity, number and type of ingredients which reflected in the nutrient composition of the four documented variations of the dish. The fourth variation with the highest number of ingredients was the most nutrients dense.

Key words: Nutrient composition, yam pottage, variations, Nigeria.