Hello everybody! I want to shed some light on the most popular dishes in Nigeria - jollof rice and swallow and soup. There is no way you will visit Nigeria and not have either or both of these meals!
— This is one of the most common dishes consumed in Western Africa though no two countries are alike.
— The jollof rice you taste in Nigeria might be different than the one you taste in Ghana or Liberia - and so on.
— The origin of jollof rice is controversial, but the most likely theory is that it originated from The Wollof tribe (an ethnic group both in Senegal and The Gambia).
— We often eat the fish, chicken, or meat last in any meal. One who does eats the meat first or during the meal is often said to have poor manners.
Swallow and soup (picture on the right)
— There are many types of swallow and soup, and some are known to a specific region. Our soup is thick and rich with proteins and vegetables.
— My favourite is egusi soup! Egusi is melon seed, and there are two main ways to make this soups: either the caking method or the fried.
— There swallow pictured is fufu - made by mixing or pounding starchy food with boiled hot water.
— You eat the swallow with your hands by picking up a small piece, roll it in a small and dip the ball into the soup.
While these dishes are also common in many other African countries, the way they are prepared and the taste varies from country to country. Have you travelled to Nigeria before and/or recently? How was your experience and what was your favourite dish? If you have never visited my country, I highly recommend you do so and try any of the meals above!
Thank you @ChinonsoOnukwugha for sharing! These dishes are very different than the common italian ones but for sure if one day I’ll visit Nigeria I’ll taste them!
@ChinonsoOnukwugha , I am afraid to tell you that I have never eaten Nigerian food. What you are showing here looks like I am terribly missing something here. I know @U-royFelixA is drooling at your photos right now!
How would you describe the taste? Are Jollof rice and Egusi soup spicy hot? Is there one spice or seasoning that is used in Nigerian cuisine?
And it is the opposite here in the U.S., you eat the meat first with the starch. The juices or the meat’s sauce is mixed as you eat the meat.
Here in the SF Bay Area, many of the African restaurants are Ethiopian or from the Caribbean. I wonder if you had either cuisines before and how would they compared to your country’s?
@KarenVChin You are definitely missing out and need to try it asap!! aha I’m sure @U-royFelixA has gotten a taste in New York.
Jollof rice is a tomato-based meal and can be as spicy as you make it. When I say spicy, I mean pepper. Egusi soup is not generally pepper but can definitely be if you wish to. We love to use Maggi or Knorr cubes as seasoning, salt, and what’s reigning now is Cameroonian pepper (very very hot!).
I have tasted Ethiopian food as well as Caribbean food and I absolutely lovely! Definitely not as pepper but both use different spices and are quite tasty.
Wow thanks for this @ChinonsoOnukwugha . I still prefer Swallow and soup over rice because it a common food in almost everywhere I go and that it is traced to my ethnic group (Yoruba) to prepare more of swallow than other foods.
I’m a bit sad I’ve never had the chance to eat real Nigerian food @ChinonsoOnukwugha , it looks so delicious!
Trying new food from different countries is kind of a hobby of mine. I will make sure to try both of these and hopefully even more traditional dishes some day.
Can these be bought from street vendors too or would I have to visit a restaurant?
@Abdullahi_cap aha I surely know what you mean! After living in the west for two years, I would have been disappointed if I left without trying some of the Yoruba dishes.
@MortenSI It is very delicious! If you need recommendation, I will gladly give you tips! While swallow and soup are often eaten at restaurants or local joints throughout any city in Nigeria, you can buy jollof rice from those selling on the street as well.
and that it is traced to my ethnic group (Yoruba) to prepare more of swallow than other foods.