My Guide to Food – Exploring and Mapping intersections between Nigerian Cuisine and Foods of the World
Because the classic version is a template begging for colour and texture and more. #1, Crunchy Toasted Coconut My favourite by a notch. I love the way the coconut flavour is reinforced in a toasted, nutty way. It is the perfect counterpoint to the soft and creamy Mingau base. Hack: Use store bought toasted coconut, […]
Mingau, a place on the north eastern coast of Brazil, in Bahia Mingua, a porridge of tapioca popularly eaten over Easter on Lagos island, Nigeria Mingau, in literature, of Brazil mentions repeatedly, ‘a sweetened hot drink of tapioca, water, and milk.‘ Mingau is a porridge made from milled cassava, cooked in coconut milk and finished with […]
I am a collector of many things, chief amongst which are kitchen utensils. Since I discovered the Indians have something called a Coconut scraper, I’ve scoured every Indian store in Nigeria and even attempted to do same in Dubai, to no avail. Enter Kalustyan’s on my March trip to New York…and see what I procured […]
Ever since I made the most delicious thing…do I say that about everything? No, I don’t. You think I do? Well, I don’t. For the record, I only say it about things that are absolutely mind-blowing, like the scent leaf dip and curry which continues to turn heads and blow minds and titillate palates. And […]
For the last two days, I’ve suffered a terrible sore throat. Ever since I had a certain chia seed pudding with salted caramel coconut milk. See, I’ve occasional suffered from an itchy throat after eating coconut and tiger nuts. At first, I was puzzled – this was beyond the slight itch and so I turned […]
Coconut and its water, the liquid sloshing around its belly. If you ever buy a coconut and hear no water when you shake, put it down my friend, that mother is no good. I remember when I was young and I wanted to get the water out of the brown, mature coconut. I would find […]
I love chia seeds in bakes and in the famed chia seed pudding. Chia seed pudding plays on the unique gelling quality of the seeds when soaked in liquid – they form a thick, tapioca-like mix that makes a paplike nutty pudding. This combination works a treat – mango puree with a delightful homemade coconut […]
It’s three weeks into the start of corn season, at least in the south/west of Nigeria. Corn stands are popping up all around, decorated with the brown hard shells and white flesh of coconut. I see Asala, African Black walnut too, hawked on red-rimmed enamel trays but still no Ube, purple butter pear. Last year I explored […]
With my huge batch of cooked cassava chips, I wondered what else I could do. I considered making Aipim, a traditional Brazilian cake – dense, moist and apparently delicious. We, after all share histories of food and more with them. However, I wasn’t sure my cassava was of the right texture, as it was in […]
Hi. My name is Ozoz. I’m a Nigerian food explorer who’s on a quest – to find and share the sweet, sweet nectar that’s food
