Usi — a glossy, stretchy yellow-tinged cassava-starch swallow of the Niger Delta, traditionally eaten with banga (palm nut) soup or owho soup. Made from extracted cassava starch cooked to a translucent, elastic mass.
Usi is the signature swallow of the Niger Delta riverine peoples, inseparable from banga soup. For Urhobo, Isoko, and Itsekiri diaspora families, the pairing of starch and banga is a complete cultural sentence — one food that says exactly where you are from.
Usi is among the most refined of the swallows — nearly isolated cassava starch — which makes it the highest-glycemic and lowest-fiber, lowest-protein swallow in the family. For T2D-prone Black American eaters this is the one to portion most carefully and never eat alone; it must be partnered with a fiber- and protein-dense soup like banga loaded with vegetables and fish. Cooled leftover usi develops some resistant starch. Where possible, alternate usi days with green-plantain or cocoyam swallows to lower the overall glycemic burden of the week.
Mix extracted cassava starch with a little cold water to a paste. Stir the paste into boiling water (or pour boiling water into the paste), stirring hard and continuously over heat until it turns translucent, glossy, and very stretchy. The signature yellow tint comes from a small amount of palm oil or natural starch color. Mold and serve hot with banga or owho soup.
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