mitrobeNigerian Foods– One thing any visitor to Nigeria would want to know is the different foods available in the country. Nigeria being a multi-ethnic nation has a plethora of different cuisines belonging to different ethnic groups. Some of these foods also cut across the different ethnic groups in Nigeria.
For you who want to make a list of the choice of food, you will eat while in Nigeria, or just absorb the knowledge for the sake of knowledge we have brought you in this article a list of the 20 most popular foods in Nigeria.
Image Source: NAIJA FOOD TV
NIGERIA JOLLOF RICE
No one will mention the popular foods in Nigeria without mentioning the Nigerian jollof rice. One could even wonder what it is that is contained in this highly rated Nigeria food, but the jollof rice simply rices cooked with tomato, pepper, onions and some other spices of your choice. Sometimes you can serve the jollof rice with vegetables and meat or chicken. Fried fish can also go down the throat isle with well prepared jollof rice.
The jollof rice is not only known with Nigeria; it is only coked by some other West African countries like Ghana. The jollof rice is the popular cuisine served at occasions and parties in most of these countries.
GARRI
Garri is one of the most popular foods in Nigeria. It is said that garri to has no advert but sales more than anything else in Nigeria. Certainly, this is as a result of how popular it has become among Nigerians. Undoubtedly, garri is eaten in majority of household in Nigeria.
Garri is produced from cassava. The cassava after it has been harvested is peeled, washed and grounded. It is drained of water, some amount of starch and hydrocyanic acid before it will be sieved and fried on a hot pan.
This process turns the processed cassava into a granular form and at this point, it is called garri. Garri is prepared by adding some quantity of hot water into a bowl containing the garri granules. Garri can be eaten with any soup in Nigeria: Egusi soup, Afang soup, Ewedu, Oha soups and so on.
POUNDED YAM
Pounded yam is very tender food served in many Nigerian homes and restaurants. It is best served with soups like Egusi, Ogbono, vegetable soup and even Okra. Without doubt, pounded yam is made from boiled yam.
Some quantity of white yam is peeled, sliced and boiled until it becomes tender. This yam is then pounded in a mortar until it forms a soft mash. There has been also an innovation upon pounded yam, where “pounded yam” is now made from yam flour. The Yoruba people of the Western Nigeria are more known to be fond of pounded yam, but it is also common among other tribes like the Eastern Nigeria Igbos.
EGUSI SOUP
Egusi soup is definitely one of the most popular soups in Nigeria. It is widely consumed in many homes and during celebrations. Its fluffy clumps, accompanied by its unique scent are the qualities that place Egusi soup as one of the special delicacy of Nigerians.
Egusi is prepared from melon seeds with ingredients like red oil, meat, stock fish, vegetable, onions, seafood and other condiments desired by the cook. Egusi is a soup served with garri or pounded yam. It is also served with semolina or fufu (fermented and cooked cassava).
SUYA
Suya is a nicely cut beef, spiced and grilled over an open flame. Suya is served with fresh sliced onions and cabbage and then wrapped with an old newspaper or in an aluminum foil while some sticks of a toothpick is made to stand elegantly on the package. It is an evening delicacy so to say.
Suya is a specialty of the Hausa people of Nigeria; therefore, no other tribe does it but them. There is a special kind of spice mix called Yaji added to the meat before it is been grilled. A special and unique kind of pepper is also added to it afterward to give it that unique suya taste and scent.
AKARA
Another popular food in Nigeria is Akara. Akara, as it is known in the South and Kosai in the North, is simply a deep fried beans cake. The black an eyed bean from which akara is made is grounded and fried in hot vegetable oil. A kind of akara is also made by frying a grated water yam.
Akara serves best as breakfast in many Nigerian homes, where is goes along with pap (Akamu). It is popularly sold along the road side by food vendors and can also be prepared by families in the homes.
MOI MOI
One of the best foods you can take in Nigeria is a well-prepared moi moi; it is a special delicacy that has earned popularity for its unique and special taste vigour. It is also made from black-eyed beans, as akara.
Unlike Akara, moi moi is a cooked beans pudding, prepared with fish, egg or crayfish, oil or tomatoes and other ingredients which give it quality. You can take moi moi alone, but it will be a beautiful idea to handle yourself right on a hot afternoon with moi moi along with a bottle of chilled carbonated drink.
PEPPER SOUP
Pepper soup is another popular food in Nigeria. It is a sort of soup prepared of meat, chicken or fresh fish. This delicacy is especially popular at bars where beer is drunk, but it can also be taken without the accompaniment of beer.
Pepper soup is intensely spicy and delicious. This soup of meat, chicken or fish is prepared with lots of spices like ginger, garlic, onions and pepper. It lives an unforgettable taste on the tongue and the scintillating aroma in the air. The Nigerian pepper soup is obviously a healthy food due to the natural spices it is cooked with
NKWOBI
Nkwobi is mostly known in the Eastern Nigeria, among the Igbos. Nkwobi is delicacy prepared from cow legs and heads, as a traditional dessert, richly flavored with Utazi leaves and palm oil.
You could have a great Friday outing, finding yourself in one of those Igbo kitchens to have a good time over a plate nkwobi. A fresh palm wine is the best drink to take the bulk into the belly.
EWA AGOYIN
Ewa agoyin is undoubtedly another popular Nigerian food. If you ever visited any Yoruba city and you did not taste the ewa agoyin, you definitely missed something. “Ewa” means beans in Yoruba language and “Agoyin” refers to the Beninoise people who originated the delicacy.
Ewa Agoyin is simply a mashed bean with a pepper sauce. This pepper sauce is not just any pepper sauce; it is specially prepared type of pepper sauce (made from dried pepper, onions and sometimes with crayfish). The taste of this combination comes out splendid.
If you are a lover of beans, Ewa Agoyin could be something you need to try. You will enjoy it best with soft Agege bread and a bottle of chilled drink. Taking it with egg of fish is not a bad idea anyways.
ABACHA AND UGBA
Abacha is another Nigerian food most popular among the Igbo tribe. It is simply known as African salad. Abacha is made from cassava. The cassava is first cooked, grated and then sundried. This sundried cassava flake is now used to prepare this special delicacy known.
Abacha is prepared with sliced Ugba (oil bean seed) and some fresh vegetables. It is mostly eaten as a dessert and served with ponmo and fried fish. A well prepared Abacha, having a good amount of vegetables and Ugba is healthy food. It is also a delicious delicacy that you would lay your tongues on.
AMALA AND EWEDU
Ewedu is a classic soup of the Yoruba descent. It is, however, one of the most popular foods in Nigeria. Ewedu soup is prepared from jute plant leaves, blended into a mucilaginous form, just like the okra soup.
Ewedu is usually prepared with a lot of meat and ponmo and served with his best companion, Amala. The harmonious blend of Ewedu soup and some tomato-pepper-based stew is to make up for slight bitterness possessed by the leaves used to make the soup.
BEANS AND PLANTAIN
Beans and plantain have become such popular food across Nigeria. Since there are lots of beans and plantain in Nigeria, making this harmonious combo would not be too much a problem.
This beans and plantain combo is prepared as portage, with the addition of some dried fish and some other ingredients that will improve the quality. Beans and plantain is special Nigerian food with a delicious taste, which I know you would want to taste.
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OGBONO SOUP
On the list of the popular soups in Nigeria, Ogbono soup must be included. This soup is prepared from bush mango seeds with palm oil, stockfish, dried fish, and meat. Ogbono soup is usually served with garri, pounded yam and fufu.
Ogbono soup has a slippery texture which is mostly referred to as “draw”; a unique characteristic that makes it go down easily with the fufu or garri balls. Ogbono soup is also one of the easiest soups to prepare.
BANGA SOUP
Banga soup is one of the popular soups in Nigeria, most common in the southern part of the country. Banga soup is prepared from palm fruits with additions of meats, fishes and special ingredients that give it a unique taste. Banga soup is served with starch and it is known to be a delicious delicacy.
EFO RIRO
Efo Riro is a classic Yoruba food, which is among the popular Nigerian foods. Efo riro literally means “mixed greens”. It is prepared by mixing pumpkin leaves, meat, chicken or smoked fish. Other vegetables like water leaves and spinach can also be used to prepare the Efo Riro.
Tomatoes are sometimes avoided in the Efo Riro recipe in order to prevent the entire mixture being too soft and wet. An original Efo Riro is prepared with African spinach and the Lagos spinach.
AFANG SOUP
Afang soup is pretty a popular food in Nigeria. It is original to the Efik tribe of Southern Nigeria. Afang soup is a largely leafy vegetable soup, made with some cuts of meat, stockfish, and seafood.
Afang leaves or Okazi leaves is the special kind of leaves used to prepare this soup. The leaf is somewhat tough but it sliced into small bits. Afang soup is a very delicious soup with nice flavor, best served with starch, fufu, garri or even pounded yam.
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TUWO SINKAFA
Tuwo Sinkafa is a popular Nigeria food which of the Hausa decent. Tuwo Sinkafa literally means “mashed rice”. As such, tuwo sinkafa is a kind of pounded yam.
Tuwo sinkafa is eaten alongside the popular Hausa soups like Miyan Kuka and Miyan Kardashi. Tuwo is also eaten with okra soup. This food is usually served as either lunch or dinner.
OKPA
Are you hearing of Okpa for the first time? Okpa is actually a very popular Nigerian food, most common in the Eastern Nigeria, especially in Enugu State. This cake is made from a different kind of beans known as Bambara nut.
To make okpa, the bambara nut is grounded into its flour after which it is mixed with hot water and other ingredients necessary for it preparation. Some of those ingredients include palm oil, crayfish, fresh pepper, pumpkin vegetable (if you choose) and salt. Okpa is very delicious and nutritious.
BOILED WHITE RICE
It has become a certainty that many Nigerian homes cook rice every Sunday. Boiled white rice is the food cooked by these Nigerian families. Thus, another popular Nigerian food is boiled white rice.
The boiled rice is taken with stew/soup prepared with tomatoes or the Banga stew. These stews are usually cooked with fish or meat, depending on the cook.
Where to Eat Nigerian Food in Houston
1. Aria Suya Kitchen can be reached on (832) 831-4372. They are located at 6357 Westheimer Rd
2. Taste Of Nigeria offers Nigerian and other African cuisines, they can be reached on (713) 589-9055. They are located at 5959 Richmond Ave
Gulfton.
3. Cafe Abuja offers African, Bars, Soup. They can be reached on (713) 344-1569. They are located on 15015 Westheimer Rd, West Oaks
4. Afrikiko Restaurant offers mainly African Cuisines, they can be reached on (713) 773-1400. They are on, 9625 Bissonnet St, Westwood
5. Amala Zone offers Nigerian and other African cuisines, they can be reached on (281) 741-0042. They are located on 14815 Westheimer Rd, West Oaks
6. Trinity African Bar & Grill offers African, Soup, Chicken Wings. Their phone is (713) 779-5300. They are 5700 S Gessner Dr, Chinatown
7. Komchop is another place to go for African cuisine, they can be reached on (832) 633-2342, They are on 14144 Westheimer Rd, West Oaks
8. Isles Eatery & Rhum Bar offers Seafood, Caribbean, Lounges. You can reach them on (713) 739-9039. Their location address is 1515 Pease St, Downtown
CONCLUSION
Do you think anyone was missed? Do well to leave in the comment section below which of the most popular Nigerian food that was omitted. Go ahead to enjoy the various delicacies available in Nigeria, of course, keep eating and living healthy.
mitrobe
James steller
