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While he was in his country, Prince lived in a palace with 8 members of his family and 120 household staff. His family was influential and often participated in mediation in decisions about the tribe in which his mother was a princess. Although he himself never cooked, he would spend a lot of time in the kitchen, trying out the dishes and observing the cooks and so he learned about cooking. They would eat all together at the table and there was no talking over the meal, unless he started the conversation. The meals were served three times a day, at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. They were using crockery and cutlery, but it was customary to eat with hands because it’s considered that the dishes are tastier that way and they always had finger bowls by their side. “A lot of people were passing through my house, and for sure our house had the best food in that part of the country”, says Prince. The most festive dishes were prepared for the period of Egungun carnival. The carnival was held once a year and on this occasion his mother would prepare traditional dish called Iyan, which is also Prince’s favourite dish. It is made from dried and hand-shredded yam flour. This dish is usually served with egusi soup, a Nigerian speciality made with meat, melon seeds, bitter leaf, dried fish and many other ingredients.
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