PUFF-PUFF IS A CULTURAL STAPLE AND YET PEOPLE STAY DISRESPECTING THE QUEEN
It is sweet, plump and can fit into your mouth if you open it wide.However, it is said that when a star is born, there will always be haters wanting to shoot you down.
Puff-Puff is the holy grail of pastries. Yes, I said it. It is sweet, plump and can fit into your mouth if you open it wide.
Ugh! Divine. *In Cameron Tucker from Modern Family’s voice*.
She is popular and has remained relevant for years and there are various tutorials with over 1 million views on Youtube dedicated to her making. She is that bitch that everyone wants to have. However, it is said that when a star is born, there will always be haters wanting to shoot you down. The haters in this scenario are shady and downright funny people on Twitter. They used to be skeletal and faceless, hanging in the dark corners of my twitter TL but recently they began to appear in flesh and blood with wings and fangs boldly attacking the queen. The Queen - the supreme member of the pastries family – Puff-puff. And I am not okay with this.
This is not one of those articles that would project my skill as a writer who only writes about serious stuff, I am sorry to put it to you that I am not that writer at all. Not with this newsletter at least, this is a space I created to expose all my thirsts and obsessions. I will be coming clean on a lot of my obsession, and last week it was my obsession with Stay Tonight – one of the songs from Asa’s album. One in which I am personally convinced she wrote just for me. Anyway, this is not about Asa’s perfect discography. This is about food and my favourite pastries, you call it puff-puff and I call it Hallelujah. This is a sweet, sweet adoration of dough dipped in hot vegetable oil. I can simply describe puff-puff as one of those people who were given the basic things you can ever think and they made something excellent out of it. Puff-puff are sugary balls of awesomeness made with love and sometimes with pepper; thanks to the Yorubas’ obsession with adding pepper to everything they eat. As a Yoruba woman, I am okay with this decision because it satisfies my own palette and for many years especially back in university it was this pastry royalty that filled my stomach when I was so broke and all I could afford was 5 balls of Puff-puff and a bottle of LaCasera in between lectures.
Listen, I could write on and on about how those golden brown balls of fried dough are enough to satisfy my cravings. Just last week, it was all I was craving because I could not eat anything else. I was suffering from PMS, it was brutal this month and I just hated everything. But as soon as I chewed down on some peppered Puff-puff, all my sorrows were washed away. You are probably wondering what is happening in my head right now, I cannot help myself. I become a believer for the things I love.
Now that we have established where I stand, I am yet to understand the hate. Like, why are you all trying to pull this queen down? What did she do to you? Did a Puff-puff seller add onions to her own recipe and you squirmed at the first bite (because you are one of those weirdos who hate onions)?
You know you can go ahead and eat your cakes, samosas, chin-chin or meat pies without sounding bitter about puff-puff? There is literally an all-you-can-eat buffet package being sold these days containing every popular pastry you can think of, they can all co-exist together peacefully. My issue is not even that you do not recognise greatness, my issue is that you think it is cool to disrespect the queen and get away with it. You tried it on twitter and were dragged for it yet you are relentless. I admire your resolve but it is not enough to push Puff-puff off the top of the pyramid.
Haters can only hate.
You have to admit the power that this queen has, she is not only popular in Nigeria she is popular in most countries in West Africa like Sierra Lone. Ghanaians call it buffloaf, it is called Bofloto in the Ivory Coast and Kala in Liberia to mention a few. She is a multi-faceted pan-African who not only unify diverse cultures but will not hesitate to fill the role of street food and a food staple for the elites. Meaning you can buy it on the streets in your neighbourhood and you can also order for it from online vendors packaged in foil. She does not discriminate, she understands her purpose on earth and she will fulfil her destiny. She is a multi-tasker and she stays glossy no matter what you sprinkle her with.
Need I say more?
You know what, I am done exhibiting her in all her glory. If you do not love her, that is alright by me. I cannot really tell you what to do. You cannot force greatness, puff-puff is a cultural staple that stays winning regardless of our opinions.
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