Torborgi and Its Kinds

Bitter balls on display at the Rally Time Market

Torborgi stands as one of the major Liberian dishes which transcend cultural, ethnic and religious bonds. As the name suggests, it is a sub-regional cultural meal liked by many Liberians. As it is perceived across the sub-region, the meal originated from both northern Liberia (Lofa) and the Guinean city of Macenta.

Locals of both Macenta and Lofa are noted for their love for torborgi and how excellently the meal is prepared by them. Also, the women of Macenta and Lofa are also well-known for their production of some of the best torborgi oil regionally.

Unfortunately, many people think immediately of bitter balls once they hear the word torborgi. However, there are more to it than just bitter balls. Even with the bitter balls torborgi, there are several kinds of them. There are some who are fond of the ketele torborgi (which is extremely bitter); others, too, love the bigger bitter balls nicely prepared into torborgi. 

Processing of Torborgi Oil 

“The main ingredient in cooking torborgi is the oil,” Mama Flomo, an iced water seller at the Rally Time Market told me during a recent interview. "Therefore, it is significant to know and understand how it is processed," she added. 

The oil is produced from palm nuts. You first have to allow the palm nuts to get rotten before beginning the process. Put the palm nuts into a pit, a drum or mortar and pound them thoroughly until they turn into butter. Let the butter sit with no water added for days. A few days later, the oil will separate from the chaff automatically. You then collect the oil from the very top until you get to the chaff.

In some instances, some fresh palm nuts are fetched from the trees and added to the one already rotted. The fresh palm nuts give the oil a pleasant aroma in the various dishes.

The Kinds 

Torborgi is simply the adding of certain ingredients to any sauce for that matter to give it a special kind of taste other than the ordinary. Torborgi is not a sauce by itself. Actually, there are two key ingredients needed for that taste: torborgi soda and torborgi oil. A recent analytical survey conducted by F&N with scores of Lorma market women at the Rally Time Market revealed that palava sauce, clear soup [pepper soup], cassava leaf, beans, water greens, among others, can make excellent torborgi in addition to bitter balls. Moreover, there are some Liberians who actually love to cook pepper torborgi which they also find extremely delicious.

The Preparation 

The women admitted that preparing torborgi involves a bit of spending. You first need torborgi oil and the soda. You need some snails, dried meat, dried fish (preferably dried pike fish) and chicken. Remember, some dried bonnie will do in terms of adding flavor to the sauce. If it is bitter balls or beans torborgi, you have to take down the pot after all the ingredients are well cooked and nicely seasoned. Mash the ingredients excluding the meat or whatever fishes you have in there. Following that, place everything back into the pot and allow the water to get completely dry from it. Bring down the pot again, put in the soda accompanied by the torborgi oil. There you go … Have a delicious meal.

Meanwhile, you don't really need to mash the palava sauce neither do you need to do that in the case of water greens.

Torborgi can be eaten with plain rice.