Old editions of Webster’s Dictionary define “palaver” as “a parley between European explorers and representatives of local populations, especially in Africa” or “In Africa, a parley with the natives; a talk; hence, a public conference and deliberation; a debate”.
The word “palaver” comes from the Portuguese language. In the 1400’s the Portuguese were the first to sail around Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean (Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488); Portuguese traders were the first Europeans to establish a presence along the sub-Saharan African coasts.
Though they were later largely displaced by the English and French, the word “palaver” became a part of the lingua franca along the Atlantic coast of Africa. What “palaver” has to do with Palaver Sauce (or Palava Sauce)–an African stew made from greens and meat–is not clear. In Ghana, this dish is also called Kontonmire, Kentumere, or Nkontommire, named for the leaf of the cocoyam (taro) plant which is used for the greens. See also: Plasas.
Method
* If you are using dried or fresh bitterleaf: Wash it in cold water, rinsing several times, and allow it to soak for at least a few hours, then chop it into pieces.
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