I was passing by the school market the other day, I heard someone call a pretty lady by my side Ata Rodo.

From the south west, where I come from, Ata Rodo is fresh pepper. My Yoruba mothers can’t do without. In fact, we are seen and noticed to be born with this spice.

There is almost no form of cooking that the Yoruba does without adding Ata Rodo. If you happen to be someone like me, who cooks #200 tomatoes with four pieces of Ata Rodo, then my Yoruba family will see you as awkward.

On the second hand, Ata Rodo isn’t just used as a spice in culinary, when used as an adjective to qualify a person… It does mean “the person is a good riddance to bad rubbish, hot tempered, spontaneous and fast to taking action.” “When they want to do you, they will do you small small untill it pepper’s you.”

In our land, Ata Rodo is an essential part of the cooking, though food scientist would ask you to add Sorgu (the long pepper to your stew) and this is because the long pepper is found to contain the right amount of Saponin you need.

Ata Rodo is something almost everyone can reckon with.

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Although Ata Rodo seems to have caused a lot of problems in our world, because the reasons for ulcer in most African countries is the abuse of Ata Rodo by Africans.

I can recall a situation where i friend of mine made this delicious vegetable soup with Ata Rodo, I ate and had fun with it, but since that day…  My experience with Ata Rodo has never been the same.

Without Ata Rodo… Life can’t be Peppery… And Yoruba of often says “Emi to o je ata, emi yepere ni” – Without people acting like Ata Rodo, life won’t be fun anyways.

Thats why i am dedicating this write-up to Tiwa Savage, my Ata Rodo mammah!

Temi Badmus