As a boy from the south (cue Pistol Annies' song), there are few foods I enjoy more than black-eyed peas. Cook them in a pot with onions and bacon, call me over of supper, and you've got a friend for life. In West Africa, I became enamoured with red red in Ghana (yes, enamoured; my love affairs with foods are much more successful than the ones I get involved in with humans), and in Nigeria, there are akara and moi moi. Call me a polygamist. What's not to like about moi moi? It is made from black-eyed peas, AND wrapped in leaves to steam. From matooke to luwombo to tamales, I like foods that are steamed in leaves. Moi moi is usually steamed in leaves called ewe eran. The photo above is some moi moi that I just bought out of the deli at a supermarket this evening because I did not feel like cooking. To me, someone who is familiar with this Nigerian food item, it looks appetising, and I cannot imagine it looking offensive to someone unfamiliar with moi moi.
Now take a look at this (wasn't I the one who just asked, "What's not to like about moi moi?):
Don't you just want to gobble down this congealed lump? Doesn't it just look delicious or does it look like it just came from a cat food tin? Supposedly this is also moi moi, apparently photographed by someone who hates moi moi. This is the main photograph from the wikipedia entry for moin moin. Why would someone post a photo like this? Why is it still on Wikipedia? How does one go about getting the photo updated? My guess is that someone does not want anyone who ever reads that article to ever have the desire to try what is there disgustingly described as 'steamed bean pudding'.
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