Luos are known for their immense love for fish, a fact that has been attributed to their area of origin around the great Lake Victoria or 'Nam Lolwe' in Dholuo.
However, with time and with the growing mixture of cultures and intermarriages with other communities, they have been introduced to other foods which were initially not in their menu.
But with all that, they have remained loyal to their culture and traditions, and have proved their unwillingness to break or dishonor their ancient rule of food, especially for their children.
Here are some of the foods that Luos will be very careful with if they have children.
1.Eggs
There is nothing wrong with eating eggs, but culturally, in Luo Nyanza, babies and young children should not eat too much of this product.
They believe that it causes the children to have a heavy tongue, resulting in ‘ywa dwal’ (stammering).
Many people who are stammerers are believed to have a heavy tongue, and considered to might have been victims of parents’ carelessness in feeding them.
2. Pepper
In Luo land, pepper is designated for the older and more experienced in the society, leaving out the children.
Also, its not common among women under the notion that they are not strong enough to stand the hot and burning consequences of 'apilo' or 'mbilu'.
Children are not allowed anywhere near the product because they will only end up crying and struggling and deny people the peace they need when doing justice to the food.
3. Hippo meat
Children are not supposed to be seen anywhere near a hippopotamus meat, this being an ancient culture at a time when people were free to hunt the animals.
It is believed that a baby that feeds on a hippo will grow up to snore like one.
Consequently, pregnant mothers are also not allowed to eat the meat because the baby in their womb will adopt the hippo’s snore once out.
#MyLifestyle #hivisasaoriginal