Introduction to Nigerian Foods
Jollof Rice and Chicken. Photo by Aleutia from Flickr.com I met a young man recently in Los Angeles who told me that he did not enjoy a Nigerian party he just attended because Nigerian foods were not served. I asked him what he liked most about Nigerian foods and his reply was they are exotic! That says it all, and I will also add that Nigerian cuisines are spicy and fishy, so if you are not a fish person, you will have to ask the restaurant, Mama Put or your host for meals with little or no fish like moi moi, jollof rice, yam porridge etc. Of course there is a wide variety of foods to choose from in Nigeria. And each of these dishes has a delicious and an unmistakably Nigerian taste. As you might have known, Nigeria is not a homogenous society; there is no common language, nor common culture, nor common religion, therefore there is no such thing as a common National dish. So, Nigerian foods in this context refer to the wide variety of ethnic foods found in this land of diverse culture and climate conditions. Nigeria is made up of thirty-six states and these states are divided up into six geopolitical regions. The foods available in each of these regions depend on the climate season, the culture and religion of the people. What is the staple of Nigerian Foods? Nigerian food routinely consists of a starchy staple (normally grain) served with soup. The grain is usually grounded into flour. There are different types and names for these flours.But the concept is always the same.Their methods of preparations are also similar. They are normally prepared by stirring the flour into boiling water until desired consistency and fluffiness is achieved. These foods are tasteless on their own and don’t have much nutritional value so they must be served with a very tasty soup. 
Pounded yam is the grand master of these kinds of food. It is enjoyed across the country. A typical pounded yam food is white, odorless, very smooth and not cheap. Pounded yam is made by pounding boiled (Nigerian) yam in a giant pestle into desired consistency and fluffiness.It is not tasteful on its own, so it must be served with a delicious soup. Ground pounded yam is now available too. Tuwo is the staple of Northern Nigeria foods. There is tuwo shinkafa (made from rice floor),tuwo massara (made from corn flour) etc. The tuwo shinkafa is made by cooking the rice until it is so soft that it can then be stirred into desired fluffiness. In the south east the staple of the Igbo people’s food is Akpu also called utara. This is cassava (called yam in America) that is turned into smooth heavy dough through an elaborate home made process. The Akpu itself is kind of tasteless, but when served “fresh” with a very delicious soup it is quite irresistible. Like other average Igbo man, I grew up on this delicacy, however having been away from it for eight years I am no longer crazy about it.If you have not tried Nigeria foods before, do not get started with Akpu, it is definitely not a Nigerian food for starters because of its strong smell. In the southwest, the staple of the Yoruba food is amala. This is yam based flour that is prepared by stirring the flour into boiling water until desired fluffiness is achieved. It is normally dark brown in color and like other staples must be served with a very tasty soup because it does not have much taste of its own. Across the country other staples include eba (also called garri) which is coarse flour derived from cassava and it is the staple that has the most ease of preparation and completely odorless. It can also be eaten as a cereal. Other food staples include semolina,which is factory processed floor, there is also ground pounded yam and the list goes on. Nigerians are so attached to flour that in any country where they find themselves they will convert whatever affordable local flour they find there into “semo”, short for semolina.Even the good old Oat Meal has been converted into “semo” by grinding it into flour. And someone was quick to point out that besides being cheap like other flours, Oat meal is also nutritious. Nigerian Foods - Soup Nigerian soups are completely different from American or European soup. The Nigerian soup is a melting point. They all begin with water and a pot, from there a dozen or two ingredients and spices are added. A friend of mine has inventoried the ingredients his mother used to cook a very tasty soup and he came up with twenty seven ingredients! These ingredients include the regular spices of salt and pepper, and then meat, fish, crayfish, vegetable, oil, various kinds of ethnic spices all melting together in one pot! The aroma of this melting pot always smells so good and inviting; however you may find the smell very strong if you have not been exposed to Nigerian food before. The soups are made to come out thick or slimy. The name of the soup depends on the major ingredient used to thicken the soup. So an ogbono soup (the most slimy of all Nigerian soups) is made from ogbono. Mia kubewa (okra soup) is the most popular soup in the north. Bitter leaf soup is the most popular soup in the south east region. Egwusi (melon) soup is the most common soup across the country. Suya
The number one delicacy of the northern region is suya, which is spicy barbecued beef normally grilled kabob style in skewers. It is simply delicious. Suya is seasoned with ethnic spices notable among them is ginger. It is best enjoyed when served fresh with onions and can be eaten by itself or with bread or any other staple. Suya has now evolved to include chicken suya, bush meat suya etc, but the classic suya remains beef suya. Suya can easily be bought in any part of the country, but the northern region of the country remains the domain of suya. Any northern city with more than a hundred inhabitants has a suya spot. In urban areas, suya spots are springing up everywhere too. Just ask around. Pepper Soup The flagship delicacy of the south east and some other parts of the country is pepper soup. Pepper soup is meat (normally goat meat or chicken) prepared in a very hot and spicy soup. This is not as thick as other Nigerian soups. Fish pepper soup is the top of the line of all pepper soups, however it is comparatively pricy. Three things you should know about pepper soup is that it is spicy, hot and the meats always have bone. You can ask for a scaled down, less spicy version, however pepper soups are meant to be served hot and spicy. Other Nigerian dishes worth trying include:
Drinks
You can enjoy your meal with a wide selection of locally brewed drinks in Nigeria.Star, Gulder, Foreign Extra Stout are the established beer brands in Nigeria. Star and Gulder are the flagship brands from Nigeria Breweries Plc while Stout is brewed by Guinness Nigerian Plc under license from Guinness Dublin. Imported wines and beers are easily available but understandably they cost more. Beverages (interestingly called Soda in American and Minerals in Nigeria) are abundantly brewed by Coca Cola Nigeria Plc and 7up bottling company. There are other locally produced brands too. Malt drinks are abundantly available too, leading brands being Malta Guinness and Maltina.Drink only bottled water whenever you need to drink water. We cannot discuss Nigerian drinks and fail to mention the good old Palm Wine. This is locally produced drink from palm tree. Also mostly in the south east of Nigeria there is a non alcoholic version of palm wine known as “ngwo” it is refreshingly sweet. Palm wine is best enjoyed when served fresh with a special south eastern delicacy known as “ugba” Preservation Most Nigerian foods must be consumed fresh otherwise they will go to waste. Food preservation technology is still catching up in Nigeria. Local preserving techniques are either inadequate or unreliable. A good percentage of grains, tomatoes and a few other food items are processed and preserved but a large proportion has to be eaten fresh during its season or it goes to waste. So Nigerian foods must be enjoyed fresh or I should say relatively fresh. Return From Nigerian Foods to Nigeria Travel Guide Homepage
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