Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a time when women of today were girls and men of today were boys. A time when noodles was non-existent and homemade meals & treats were common. Whenever i think about the good ‘ol days, lots of things come to mind. From playing in the sand, to sneaking out to buy forbidden sweet treats such as Baba dudu, Balewa, Coconut candy, Tanfili, Sisi pelebe and definitely Ekana Gowon. I remember buying as much as 10 of this locally made sweet for as low as 1 naira back then. Looking back now, i guess my curiosity was inborn. The history of this sweet is unknown but from what i gathered, it was made popular after the Gowon/Ojukwu biafran war hence the name. It’s known by different names such as; hanjin legidi, Ekana dinka, Tsugba dinka (nupe), Ojukwu finger (igbo). What is it called in your native language?
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time:15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
You’ll Need:::
• Small nylons (Type used in tying granulated sugar for sale with a pointed edge)
• Broom sticks or toothpicks
Ingredients:::
• 1 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. Lime or Lemon juice
Directions:::
Step 1: The fist step is to prepare the cone. You could use Aluminum foil (cut up into little squares) for this or you could use nylon bags (the type used in tying sugar for sale). Either way, you’d get the desired end product. Set this aside
Step 2: In a small pot, dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water. Place the pot on the burner and heat up on medium heat. Leave it to boil for a while till the sugar starts to caramelize and turn brown. Once you notice this, turn off the burner and leave to cool just a little.
Step 3: This step should be done quickly. Get out your pointed edged nylons or foil and quickly pour in little quantities of the sugar caramel before it hardens in the pot. Add the broom stick handles quickly and hang somewhere to harden. Once it hardens, you can now remove the nylon and enjoy your sweet :D.
