CHAPTER  ONE
INTRODUCTION
“Ogiri” is a local condiment inform of oily paste with strong putrial and ammonial odour made from some fermentation vegetable proteins (oil seeds).
It is a popular soup condiment in many parts of Nigeria particularly in Enugu Anambra, Imo,Ondo River states, Benue-plateau states.
“Ogiri” can be in various form such as solid, semi solid (paste) depending on the type of raw material (legeime seed) used in the production of it.
Hwever, when it is in solid form, it can be put into shapes like circlus (flat) triangular and quadrilaterals.
Types of Ogiri are dawadawa “Iru,” “Ogiri, nwan,” “Igba – Apara,” “Ukpaka (ugba)”, “Ogiri - sara” onwuka (2003).
However, “dawadawa” and “Ogiri” are used as condiments in soup, sauce and porridge and ogiri act as soup “dawadawa” and ogiri act as soup condiments as well as food flavour. “Ugba” (ukpaka) is commonly used to suppliment a variety of food in the eastern (especially Anambra and Imo)
States of Nigeria, it is frequently mixed with yam or with tapiocal (Abacha) and also with stock – fish and serve during important ceremonies. Some people even it those flawaring agents raw as they are.
In Nigeria and in some African countries, people who use ogiri as flavouring agent are only concerned in the nutritive value of the ogiri not minding their microbial load. Although a food will not be selected volubility and consumed less it appeals to the consumer in terms of appearance mouth feel and flavour (ogbo V.N (1999). Though ogiri has an un welcoming flavour and an unattractive presentation (ogbou V.M), yet its addition to food as spaces makes the food very palatable.
Most of these condoment used as flavouring agent content vegetable proteins which are usually rich in glutamine and asparagine and these can either be engymatically or chemically hydralysed to glutamic asid and asportic acid by micro – organisms other products of the hydrolysis are Alain Agirine and proline (Obi E.I.2003). The delaminated proteid has a lower iso-electirc point and therefore are are easily soluble in foods systems ogbogu (1999), it has also been reported that levels of deamination as low as 2-6% could enhance the fuctional properties of these ammonacids.
Ihekoronye and Ngoddy (1985) stated that the functional properties of these aminoacids as giving nice flavour to food.
The processing of the oil seeds is still at the traditional level. The procedure differs slightly in different locations.
Most of the leytable protein seeds used in preparational of this traditional condiment logired are castor bean (Ricinus communis), oil bean (pentaclethera macrophylla), sesame seed (sesamum indicum), saya bean (Glycine max) etc.
Some of them which contain toxic substances example Ricin in castor oil beansee trysinhbitor from soya bean are detoxified during processing to avoid an unpleasant effects they cause.