On Turning 55 & 55 Things To Celebrate About Nigerian Cuisine

In honour of our 55th year as an independent nation (for all intents and purposes) on the first of October, here are 55 things you should know about Nigerian cuisine, 55 things I’m celebrating.

What is it like?

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Groundnut Chop
  1. How to describe it? An interesting melange that’s vibrant and  flavourful with rich stews, sauces, fresh fruits and vegetables
  2. Often mistaken for being ‘pepper hot’ when ‘spicy’ is right, because our food has more dimensions than one ‘pepper’ note
  3. The essentials are often fresh – tomatoes, onions, chilies, greens
  4. A variety of intriguing herbs and spices make for a rich pantry and flavourful food
  5. It is twinned with Brazil through the slave trade – Acaraje, Farofa, Imoyo, Frejon (dishes that show the transfer of culture & cuisine)
  6. It has similar elements to SE Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese – use of fermented fish (Nigerian crayfish, Thai fish sauce, shrimp paste) for umami, fresh coconut, herbs, light broths and more

Facts, Figures & More

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  1. Our cuisine is regional though with common elements of (leafy) stews and starches. Each region has characteristic dishes, with staples in the south made from maize/corn, yams, cassava/manioc or plantains. In the north, rice, millet and sorghum are very common.
  2. Nigerian Jollof is King.  Not Ghanaian or Senegalese or any other. Thank you.
  3. We are the only African country to have pyramids besides Egypt. Of groundnuts.
  4. We are first on the list of yam producers
  5. We are one of the leading producers of (sometimes seen as dangerousTonka beans, with Venezuela
  6. Fresh, fresh, fresh – we eat a lot of fresh produce, in season too
  7. New discoveries are being made in the Nigerian kitchen. For instance, you can do more than ‘lick’ Agbalumo; make Akara without slaving to peel the beans and pound yam in a food processor. Makes for creative and efficient cooks, me thinks
  8. And you can do more with garri than soak or cook it. Like crust, like pan fry, like crumble topping
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Farofa – of toasted garri

In Season

Custard Apple
  1. January – Carrots, Agbalumo, Sugar cane
  2. February – Mangoes
  3. March – Pepper fruit, Velvet Tamarind, Guava
  4. April – Black Walnut
  5. May – Local strawberries
  6. June – Corn, Ube, Shadock, Sea almonds
  7. July- Groundnuts, Soursop
  8. August – Yams, new yams,Cocoa, Money Kola
  9. September – Garden eggs, Custard Apples
  10. October – Watermelons, Oranges
  11. November – Garden eggs
  12. December – Ube Okpoko, June Plums, Jos Tomatoes
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Various, seasonal (weird/interesting) fruits

Food festivals/ Festivals with food

Photo credit: Charls Isidi, clapboardviews.wordpress.com/
Photo credit: Charls Isidi, clapboardviews.wordpress.com/
  1. New Yam festival, with Ofe Nsala
  2. Ramadan
  3. Argungu Fishing Festival

Regional specialties

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Banga Soup
  1. Ukodo, from the people of the Niger Delta, a sweet pottage of yam and meats in a flavourful broth
  2. Banga soup – best served in a clay pot. With love.
  3. Ofada rice – a fermented, sweet and flavourful rice from, yes, Ofada
  4. Worowo, a soft leafy green from the west of Nigeria, great with pounded yam
  5. Fried yam at Saminaka, in the north, a junction town that serves up delightful chicken
  6. Edikan Ikong, a leafy green stew from the South-South
  7. Tuwon, rice balls served with soups and stews from the Nigerian north
  8. Masa, a sweet rice cake from the north
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Edikan Ikong

Definitive Dishes

  1. Jollof rice
  2. Nigerian fried rice
  3. Pepper soup
  4. Egusi soup. Yes, yes, yes

Must-try Nigerian drinks

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  1. Chapman, a refreshing blend of soft drinks and blackcurrant cordial. Can be revved up too with a dash of alcohol
  2. Zobo, an infusion made from the dried flowers of a variety of Hibsicus. Also known as red sorrel
  3. The family Kunnu
  4. Fura de nono
  5. ‘Green Sands’ Shandy….ok, ok, a riff on the combo of soda and lager

New takes on the ‘Old’ – Herbs & Spices

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Sauteed Snail Salad
  1. Scent leaves with sugar & spice, in cocktails…; Snails in many ways
  2. Grains of selim for more than pepper soup – great in tomato stews
  3. Bitter leaf in drinks

Snacks

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  1. Puff-puff
  2. Chin chin
  3. Meat pies

Streetfood

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  1. Akara
  2. Suya
  3. Bole & Fish, groundnuts,
  4. Roasted Corn

So there – 55 things you should know about Nigerian cuisine, in celebration of our Independence.

What else would you add to the list?

5 Comments

  1. Jollof so bae, it gets mentioned twice! Lol. I’d definitely mention banga rice, like the one I had yesterday, thanks to yours truly, finger licking sturvs. Then I’d add Okwho soup, with fish, meat, periwinkle and other such obstacles. Happy Independence Day the Kitchenbutterfly. ????

  2. Nice write up, opening my eyes more to things I rake for granted in our country. We are indeed blessed, we hope for a better future and sincere leaders.

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