What Is Yam Flour? The Elubo Behind Amala Explained
Yam flour, known as elubo, is a fine brown flour made from dried, milled white yam, used to make amala, the smooth brown Nigerian swallow.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Yam flour, called elubo in Yoruba, is a fine flour made from white yam that has been peeled, dried and milled. Stirred into hot water it becomes amala, the smooth brown Nigerian swallow eaten with soups like ewedu and gbegiri. It is naturally gluten free. Find shops that stock it near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Yam flour is dried, milled white yam, known in Yoruba as elubo.
- Stirred into hot water it makes amala, a smooth Nigerian swallow.
- The flour is pale beige but turns brown or grey once it is cooked.
- It is naturally gluten free, as it is simply pure yam.
- Amala made from it is eaten with ewedu, gbegiri and okra soups.
Walk past a Yoruba kitchen at dinnertime and you may catch the moment a ball of amala is turned in the pot, the flour blooming from beige to deep brown as it thickens. That smell and that colour carry a whole world with them, of family gatherings, of a mother or grandmother working the turning stick, of a plate of amala and ewedu that means you are truly home.
Far from Lagos or Ibadan, a bag of elubo in the cupboard is a small act of keeping something close. To boil the water, stir in the flour and watch it darken into that familiar soft mound is to bring a piece of home to a British kitchen, and to share it with someone new is to hand them a taste that generations have grown up on.
What Yam Flour Actually Is
Yam flour is exactly what the name suggests, whole white yam turned into a dry flour. The yam is peeled, sliced, dried until hard and then milled to a fine, soft powder. In Yoruba it is called elubo, and elubo isu is the specific term for the flour made from yam, as opposed to the versions made from unripe plantain or cassava. The raw flour is a pale beige or light brown colour, soft and fine to the touch, and it keeps for months in a sealed bag in the cupboard, which is part of why it became such a practical staple. Because it is nothing more than dried yam, yam flour is naturally gluten free, with no wheat or additives in a pure product. One of its quirks catches many people by surprise: the flour looks light in the bag, but as soon as it is cooked it darkens dramatically to a rich brown or greyish brown. That colour change is completely natural and is exactly what gives amala its distinctive look.
How Yam Flour Is Used to Make Amala
The whole point of yam flour is amala, one of the best loved swallows in Nigerian cooking, and it comes together in minutes. Water is brought to the boil, then the yam flour is sprinkled in and stirred hard with a sturdy wooden spoon or turning stick. As the flour hits the hot water it thickens quickly and turns from pale powder to a smooth, stretchy, deep brown dough. The cook keeps folding and pressing the mixture against the side of the pot, adding a splash more water or flour as needed, until it forms a soft, lump free ball with a slightly glossy surface. It is then shaped into a smooth mound and served hot. Amala is one of several Nigerian swallows, sitting alongside pounded yam, eba and fufu, and you can read more about how these staples fit together in our guide to Nigerian food. The skill is all in the stirring, and a well made amala is soft, elastic and free of any raw floury lumps.
What Does Amala Taste Like and Go With
Amala itself is mild and gently earthy, with the faint natural sweetness of yam, so it works as the calm, filling base that carries the punchy soups served with it. It is a swallow, which means it is not really chewed but pinched off in small pieces, rolled between the fingers and used to scoop up soup. The classic partners are the green, slightly stringy ewedu, a smooth jute leaf soup, and gbegiri, a soft, savoury Nigerian bean soup, and the two are very often served together over the same plate with a rich pepper stew, a combination beloved across south western Nigeria. Okra soup, with its glossy, drawing texture, is another favourite match, as are other hearty stews and gbegiri style soups. The soft brown amala, the green ewedu and the golden gbegiri make a plate that is as recognisable by its colours as by its flavours, and for many people it is the definitive taste of a Yoruba kitchen.
Where to Buy Yam Flour in the UK
Yam flour is one of the easier Nigerian staples to track down in the UK, and it is usually sold as a dry packaged flour rather than something fresh. African and Caribbean food shops stock it in bags on the shelf, often labelled elubo, yam flour or amala flour, sometimes sitting next to the plantain and cassava versions, so it is worth checking the label to make sure you are buying the yam one. It keeps well, so many home cooks buy a large bag and store it sealed in a cool cupboard. You can find African food stores near you that carry yam flour along with the ewedu, gbegiri and other soup ingredients you need to build a full plate of amala. If you are new to it, the staff behind the counter can point you to a trusted brand and to the fresh or frozen jute leaves for the ewedu.
Frequently asked questions
What is yam flour?
Yam flour is a fine flour made from white yam that has been peeled, dried and milled into a powder. In Yoruba it is known as elubo, and it is used mainly to make amala, a smooth brown Nigerian swallow. The raw flour is pale beige but turns a deep brown or grey once it is cooked, and because it is pure yam it is naturally gluten free.
What is the difference between yam flour and amala?
Yam flour is the dry ingredient and amala is the finished dish made from it. The flour, called elubo, is stirred into hot water and worked into a smooth, stretchy ball, and that cooked ball is what is called amala. So amala is simply yam flour that has been cooked with water into a soft swallow, which is why people sometimes call the flour amala flour.
Why does amala turn brown?
Amala turns brown because of the natural colour change in the yam once it is dried and then cooked. The raw yam flour looks pale beige in the bag, but as soon as it is stirred into hot water it darkens dramatically to a rich brown or greyish brown. This is completely natural, is not a sign of anything wrong, and is exactly what gives amala its distinctive look.
What do you eat amala with?
Amala is eaten with Nigerian soups, most classically ewedu, a smooth green jute leaf soup, and gbegiri, a soft savoury bean soup, often served together with a rich pepper stew. Okra soup and other hearty stews are popular partners too. The amala is pinched off in small pieces, rolled between the fingers and used to scoop up the soup rather than being chewed.
Where can I buy yam flour in the UK?
Yam flour is sold as a dry packaged flour, often labelled elubo, yam flour or amala flour, by African and Caribbean food shops across the UK. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks yam flour along with the ewedu, gbegiri and other soup ingredients you need to make a full plate of amala.
