Nigerian food is a tasteful cuisine not to be missed. The list of Nigerian foods are unlimited. There is so much flavor, spices, peculiar and colorful food, fruits, and vegetables. Food is an immense part of West African culture. There is a wide range of West African delicacies to look through.
Fifteen (15) Unique List Of Nigerian Foods
Nigerian delicacies are mouth-watering. The list of Nigerian foods is probably non-exhaustive, so we would be looking at just Fifteen unique Nigerian foods, you would be glad to try out. These dishes would blow your taste buds.
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Iyan (pounded yam):
Pounded yam is a dish peculiar to the southwestern part of Nigeria. A popular and easy method of preparation is by pounding or pummeling the boiled yam into a solid paste. It has to be pounded until it creates a smooth paste so it can form a ball. Pounded yam can be served alongside some soups such as vegetable soup, ogbono soup, etc. Some people describe pounded yam as the king of swallow. It definitely deserves to top the list of Nigerian foods.
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Beans (Ewa Riro):
Beans is one of the sweet Nigerian delicacies due to their addictive flavors and how cheap it is to make. The beans are boiled until soft, then palm oil and spices such as crayfish or smoked fish, salt, and onions if desired are added. You can serve it with fried plantains or fresh bread.
Beans -
Jollof Rice:
Jollof rice remains at the top of the list of Nigerian foods. Jollof rice is a popular dish predominantly eaten in West African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia, Mali, Togo, Gambia, and Côte d’Ivoire. There is, however, a friendly rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana over which divergence of the meal tastes better. Preparing Jollof rice is also quite an easy job, with rice, tomato, pepper, onion, and oil Jollof rice can be prepared. After preparation of Jollof rice, Jollof rice could then be garnished with carrots, peas, onions, and prawns (as desired). Jollof rice can be eaten with fried plantain, vegetables, turkey, chicken, moi moi, etc as desired.
Jollof Rice -
Dodo (Fried plantain):
Plantains are one of the best dishes in Nigeria. Whether it is fried, grilled, or roasted. However, fried plantains seem to be the king of all. It could be a cubed-sized piece or thick, long slices deep-fried. Dodo could be served alongside the main dish or as an appetizer or as a snack. All that is needed is palm or groundnut oil.
- Egusi Soup (Melon Soup): Egusi soup is a delicious dish made from grinding melon seeds. It’s easy to make and loved by many. With palm oil, vegetable, crayfish, smoked fish, ice fish or meat as desired, grinded melon seed, magic seasoning, and salt, you can curate a tasteful Egusi soup. Eguai soup can be eaten with any swallow, Fufu, Pounded yam, semovita, eba, etc. Some also eat it with white rice.
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Tomato Stew:
Tomato is one of the hearty Nigerian cuisines. With a symphony of spices and flavor, it just tastes and smells good as well. It is easy to make and can be made with a variety of meat and vegetables. Tomato Stew is best eaten with a bowl of white rice to get a full experience.
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Akara:
Akara is another dish that tops the chart in the list of Nigerian foods. Akara is one Nigerian dish that will blow your taste buds. Akara is a common Nigerian street food and breakfast dish made from grinded beans. It is made with beans, salt, pepper, and onion all ground together. It is deep-fried. Akara can either be eaten alone or with pap or bread. It could also be eaten as a snack.
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Moi Moi:
Moi Moi is one of Nigeria’s mouth-watering cuisines that will blow your taste buds. Just like Akara, it is made from beans, However, Moi moi is boiled, not fried. It is prepared using Palm oil, pepper, salt, spices, and tomatoes (as desired). It can be eaten alone or with pap, soaked garri, or custard.
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Fufu:
Fufu is one of the most commonly eaten Nigerian foods. Fufu is made from cassava (fermented or unfermented) that’s been boiled, pounded, and then formed into balls. A method of making fufu is by peeling boiled cassava and cut into small cubes before pounding it to create an easy avenue for pounding. The cassava is pounded into a smooth mixture then shaped into balls and served. It can be eaten with different soups or stew.
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Eba:
Eba is a popular Nigerian swallow made with dried and fried cassava flour. It is known as Garri too. Cassava tubers are peeled, dried, ground, and fried to produce a dry granular called garri. The garri is then made with boiling water to form smooth stiff dough shaped into balls. Eba could be off-white or yellowish. It is eaten like other swallows with any soup.
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Banga Soup:
Banga soup is a beautiful Nigerian cuisine made with palm fruit. It is unique to the Niger Delta in Nigeria, The Urhobo precisely. Based on preferences, Banga soup can be prepared in different ways but it’s usually prepared with fresh palm fruit, a variety of meat, fish, and spices as desired. Banga soup can be eaten with any type of swallow or rice.
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Edikang Ikong Soup:
Edikang ikong soup is a type of Nigerian vegetable dish peculiar to the southern part of Nigeria. It is prepared with a good quantity of vegetables (pumpkin leaves), water leaves, palm oil, and different types of meat or fish. Edikan ikong soup can be served with any swallow. It is considered a nutritious dish.
Edikang Ikong Soup -
Pepper soup:
Pepper soup is one of the most popular types of soup in Africa. It’s a spicy and watery soup made with lots of pepper and an assortment of meat like goat, chicken, or fish. Pepper soup is a hearty dish consumed alone or with a drink usually, beer. It is consumed in other parts of Western Africa.
Peppersoup -
African salad (Abacha and Ugba):
African Salad is a dish made from cassava unique to the eastern part of Nigeria. To produce the Abacha, cassava tubers are cooked to soften a bit and then shredded with a grater. The cassava slices are then soaked overnight before being washed and left to dry under the sun. To prepare the delicacy, the dry abacha is soaked in water to soften it, when the abacha is ready, it’s mixed with the ugba and other condiments like palm oil, dried fish, ground African crayfish, and ponmo. Abacha is mostly enjoyed as a snack rather than a full meal.
Abacha -
Suya:
Suya is a sliced spicy meat dish popular in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. It’s made with grilled meats like beef, chicken, and ram sliced or skewed into a suitable shape. These meats are marinated in a complex mixture of spices called yaji. Suya is peculiar to the northern part of Nigeria. It is a common Nigerian street food. With its spicy uniqueness, suya does deserve to gain a spot on the list of Nigerian foods.
Suya
Conclusion:
The list of Nigerian foods is endless. These delicacies are unique, thrilling, and tasteful. With a base of herbs, spices, nuts, and palm oil, Nigerian foods evoke striking flavors.
Foods are an essential part of life but beautiful and alluring delicacies are life. The dishes above are but a few of Nigeria’s unique dishes that would blow your taste buds.
