Egusi Ijebu gets its distinctive flavor from Ogiri Ijebu. Ogiri Ijebu is spice created from fermented Egusi seeds and it is a specialty of the Ijebus. Ogiri Ejebu has a distinctive scent and taste.

When she left Nigeria in 2004, egusi seeds — also called agushi, egunsi or egwusi — and most other West African ingredients were harder to come by outside the continent. As she moved from ...