50 min
The Sunday classic: melon-seed soup rich with leafy greens and assorted meat.
You'll need 1 × 2 lb bag for 6 people
In stock · ships in 24–48 hours
$49.95
$44.96
Buy it now
Real pounded yam, without the pounding.
100% pure pounded yam flour made only from Benue yams — no cassava, no potato starch, no preservatives. Stir it into hot water and you'll have smooth, stretchy iyan on the table in about two minutes.
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Ships in 24–48 hours · arrives in 2–5 business days
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5×2lb
100% yamNo cassava or potato
Ready in ~2 minJust add hot water
Free shippingon 5+ bags
Read the label
Not all "poundo" is pounded yam.
Many instant "poundo" flours are blends — yam cut with cassava, potato flakes or other starches to lower the cost. They cook, but they don't taste or stretch like the pounded yam you grew up with.
Ours is different in one simple way: the only ingredient is yam. Benue yams, peeled, parboiled, dried and milled fine. Nothing added, nothing taken away.
Taste the difference
Afri Foods Basket
Pure Pounded Yam Flour
INGREDIENTSYam.
- Only Benue white yam
- No preservatives or color
- Smooth, stretchy, authentic taste
- Naturally gluten-free
Typical "poundo" blend
Instant Poundo Mix
INGREDIENTS (VARIES)Yam flour, cassava starch, potato flakes…
- Filled out with cheaper starches
- Taste "close to" pounded yam
- Can turn gummy or grainy
- Yam origin rarely stated
Blend ingredients vary by brand — always check the ingredient list on the pack.
Pounded yam in 2 minutes
No boiling tubers, no mortar and pestle. Hot water, a wooden spatula and you're done.
Lump-free, every time
Finely milled and sifted so it folds into a smooth, stretchy dough without lumps.
About $1.40 a plate
A 2 lb bag makes around seven generous servings — far less than a restaurant plate.
Fresh in resealable bags
Moisture-resistant 2 lb bags keep each pack dry and fresh until you open the next one.
Made for the pot
Whatever soup is on the stove, iyan is on the plate.
Egusi, efo riro, ogbono, okra: soft pounded yam is the swallow that goes with all of them.
See the recipes
From Benue to your bowl
How real pounded yam becomes flour
The same yam that gets pounded in a mortar at home — just prepared so you don't have to.
Benue white yams
Mature tubers from Benue State, Nigeria's famous yam belt.
Peeled & parboiled
Cooking before drying is what gives pounded yam flour its white color and stretch.
Dried, milled & sifted
Milled fine and sifted for a smooth, lump-free swallow.
Sealed & shipped
Packed in resealable bags and on its way within 24–48 hours.
~2 minfrom kettle to plate
How to make pounded yam with flour
Smooth iyan in 5 easy steps
- Boil the water. About 1¼–1½ cups of water for every cup of flour.
- Add flour gradually. Lower the heat and sprinkle it in while stirring with a wooden spatula.
- Turn and fold. Press against the side of the pot for about a minute until smooth.
- Adjust. Too stiff? Add a splash of hot water and fold again until stretchy.
- Shape & serve. Roll into balls and serve hot with your favorite soup.
Pounded yam planner
Which pack is right for your home?
Tell us how many people eat and how often. We'll show how much flour you need, what each plate costs, and the pack that fits.
Based on about 1 cup (≈125 g) of flour per person. Adjust to your family's appetite.
4 balls of pounded yamOne ball ≈ 1 cup of flour
4 cupsflour tonight
9.5 lbflour a month
$1.43per plate
We recommend the 5 × 2 lb bundle
Free shipping, and you open one fresh bag at a time. Lasts about 5 weeks.
Free shipping on 5+ bagsResealable 2 lb bagsSubscribe & save 10%
Simple pricing
Buy 5 bags and shipping is on us
Free shipping within the continental US on five or more 2 lb bags, or any 10 lb bag.
2 lb bag
Try it · about 7 servings
$9.99
$5.00 per lb · $1.43 a plate
- Perfect first order
- Resealable bag
Most popular
5 × 2 lb bundle
10 lb in fresh 2 lb bags
$49.95
$5.00 per lb · $1.39 a plate
- Free shipping
- Open one bag at a time
10 lb bag
Family size · about 36 servings
$49.95
$5.00 per lb · $1.39 a plate
- Free shipping
- Great for big households
40 lb case
20 × 2 lb bags · for businesses
Trade price
Restaurants · stores · events
- Case & pallet rates
- Standing orders
What to eat with pounded yam
All recipes & guides Pick a soup. We'll bring the swallow.
50 min
You'll need 1 × 2 lb bag for 6 people 40 min
Rich spinach stew with pepper, palm oil and fish — perfect with a soft swallow.
You'll need 1 × 2 lb bag for 6 people 45 min
Silky "draw" soup with stockfish — the one every pounded yam lover asks for.
You'll need 1 × 2 lb bag for 6 people 35 min
Quick, fresh and full of flavour — a weeknight favourite in under an hour.
You'll need 1 × 2 lb bag for 6 peopleReady for real pounded yam? Two minutes and it is on the table.
Order 100% pure pounded yam flour today. It ships within 24–48 hours anywhere in the continental US.
Free shipping on five or more 2 lb bags, or any 10 lb bag.
Shop by category
The Nigerian pantry, one category at a time
Start with our pounded yam flour, then see what is coming next: dried fish and seafood, soup leaves, thickeners, spices, palm oil and garri.
Coming in the next few months
The soups to go with it are on their way
Stockfish, crayfish, ogbono, egusi leaves, spices and more. Tap Notify me on anything you want and we'll email you the day it lands.
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Restaurants, caterers & stores
Serving pounded yam every day? Buy it by the case.
Trade-price 40 lb cases (20 × 2 lb bags) at trade prices, with standing orders and a direct line to our team. Ideal for bukas, caterers, events and African grocery stores.
- 40 lb cases & pallets
- Standing weekly orders
- Consistent batch quality
- Retail-ready 2 lb bags
Pounded yam flour FAQ
Good questions, straight answers
Still have a question?
Real people, happy to help.
Chat on WhatsApp (734) 219-0258 hello@afrifoodbasket.comNo match. Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll get back to you quickly.
Pure pounded yam flour is made only from yam. Many products sold as "poundo" are blends that add cassava, potato or other starches, which changes the taste and stretch. Ours has one ingredient: yam.
No. Elubo (the flour for amala) is made with a gentler treatment of the yam, with little or no cooking before it is dried, and it cooks into brown amala. Pounded yam flour is made from yam that's parboiled before drying, so it cooks into white, stretchy pounded yam (iyan).
About 7 servings per 2 lb bag and about 36 per 10 lb, based on roughly one cup of flour per person. The planner works it out for your household.
Use about 1¼–1½ cups of boiling water per cup of flour, add the flour gradually while stirring, and keep turning and folding for about a minute. See the step-by-step guide or cook along with our timer.
Yes — orders of five or more 2 lb bags, or any 10 lb bag, ship free within the continental US. Orders ship within 24–48 hours and usually arrive in 2–5 business days.
Yam contains no gluten, and our flour is made only from yam. If you have coeliac disease, check the allergen statement on the pack for handling details.
Pounded yam is a starchy food, so portion size matters. Pure yam flour has no added sugar or fillers, but if you're managing diabetes, talk to your doctor or dietitian about the right portion for you.
Keep the bag sealed in a cool, dry cupboard away from moisture. The best-before date is printed on every bag.
Pounded yam flour: the complete buyer's guide
What is pounded yam flour?
Pounded yam flour — also called iyan flour or poundo yam — is flour made from white yam that has been peeled, parboiled, dried and milled. Stirred into boiling water, it turns into pounded yam: the smooth, stretchy swallow that's a centrepiece of Nigerian and West African meals. It gives you the taste of hand-pounded yam without the hour of boiling and pounding.
Pounded yam flour vs poundo vs elubo
Pure pounded yam flour100% yam, parboiled then dried. Cooks white and stretchy. Closest to real pounded yam.
"Poundo" blendsOften yam mixed with cassava, potato or other starches. Cheaper, but the taste and texture differ.
Elubo (yam flour for amala)Raw yam, dried without cooking. Cooks dark brown into amala — a different dish.
Buying pounded yam flour in the USA
When you buy pounded yam flour online, check three things: the ingredient list (it should say just yam), the origin of the yams, and the packaging (resealable, moisture-resistant bags keep it fresh). Our flour is made from Benue yams, packed in resealable 2 lb bags and a 10 lb family bag, and ships free on five or more bags anywhere in the continental US. Restaurants and stores can order wholesale pounded yam flour by the 40 lb case.
1ingredient: yam
~7servings per 2 lb
~2 minto cook
0preservatives
Cooking and serving pounded yam
Use about 1¼–1½ cups of boiling water for each cup of flour, add the flour gradually and keep folding until smooth — full steps are in our how-to guide. Serve pounded yam with egusi soup, efo riro, ogbono or okra soup. We're adding the soup ingredients soon — including stockfish, ground crayfish, ogbono and red palm oil.