samlak
Food which is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body is a basic necessity of life that can be gotten from the home or outside. Food made at home is simply called home-made meal just as one sourced from vendors is tagged ready meal of which mama put (a derogatory name for a roadside food vendor) is popular amongst the others and a preference to the former by many.
According to Mrs. Clara Archibong, a restaurateur, “Mama put, is a name given to the woman that sells cooked food outside. Why it is so called is because of the number of customers who lined up to buy from her. Some of them impatient and hungry would shout: Mama put! Mama put!! Mama put!!! That was how the name came about.
It is commonly patronized by people of different kinds, tribes, religion, age, gender, profession among others. Since people vary from person to person based on the above mentioned, such has influences on the decisions and choices being made as to why ‘Mama put’ is placed ahead of home-cooked meals.
Generally, people resort to eating from ‘Mama put’, a ready meal mainly because it is convenient and cheap. It is ready made and comes at affordable prices which makes it easily affordable by anyone regardless of background or status. With as low as N50, a plate of rice can be purchased.
Moreover, cooking at home can be tasking as it is energy consuming and time wasting especially after a busy day at work. To cut short the stress and save time, ‘Mama put’ food is ready made and relieves one of stress.
In addition to that, poorly cooked meals at home can be turned around by going for delicious and well cooked meals at ‘Mama put’ joints. Infact, it is notable for its tasty local meals and savoury dishes, attracting customers from the high, low and middle income earners.
‘Mama put’ has for many years maintained the task of serving a large number of reliable customers including the workaholics and the non-workaholics as it cuts out the stress of the processes involved in the preparation of a meal to which many people find quite challenging.
Also, most people resort to ‘Mama put’ because of its easy accessibility and nearness to work places, homes, schools, hospitals among others. You can easily locate one joint or the other from one bus stop or street to the next either in open spaces, small canteens e.t.c.
Since its inception, it has been of great help to many Nigerians by reducing stress levels, providing better options to having good delicacies thus reducing hunger levels and promoting good health and vitality. It is indeed a reliable and affordable substitute to home cooking for many Nigerians.
