There are three major ethnic groups in Nigeria which are Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa as well as many other minor ones. Nigeria has a rich cuisine and I'll be detailing each of them in this blog post. One of the most important synonymous to Nigerian dishes is jollof rice, which is widely acclaimed as the best that could ever be.
Igbo Food
The Igbo people are usually found in the eastern part of the country and are mainly known for their love for legumes, cereals, vegetables, iyan pounded yams and cocoyam. Yams are most popular and can either be boiled or pounded with vegetable soups. Soups are an integral part of igbo cuisine. Some of the most popular Igbo foods are -
1. Pounded yam with bitterleaf soup
It is a favourite for most Easterners, when prepared properly the burst of flavours is sure to melt your heart. The ingredients for this amazing meal are bitter leaf, meat or fish, stockfish, maggi, crayfish, salt, seasoning cube, pepper, palm oil, and ogiri.
2. Pounded yam with egusi soup
It is rich both in taste and quality. It is prepared with meat or fish stockfish, egusi seeds, spinach, palm oil, crayfish, pepper, salt, seasoning cubes and ogiri.
3. Nkwobi
It is a cow foot delicacy with palm oil delicacy. It is common in Nigeria and goes perfectly with a chilled wine or drink of your choice. Ingredients required to prepare it are meat (chicken, wild meat, goat, cow foot, assorted meat), knorr, leaves of utazi, edible potash, palm oil, ugba, pepper (scotch bonnet), onions, seeds of ehu (calabash nutmeg).
4. Abacha
It is also known as African salad. It is prepared from cassava and is eaten across the southern Nigeria and south eastern part of Nigeria. It is prepared from cassava, palm oil, chopped onions, ugba, crayfish, utazi, and pepper and dried fish (optional). It is very healthy.
Yoruba Food
Yoruba people have an intriguing array of deliciously prepared foods. They are known for their colorful food mixed with several elements that will cause you to drool. Some of the native yoruba foods include -
5. Gbegiri soup
It is made from beans either brown beans and it's quite easy to make. It's made from beans, dried fish, pepper, crayfish, seasoning cubes, salt and palm oil.
6. Efo riro
It is a healthy Yoruba cuisine prepared from spinach vegetables, crayfish, stockfish, pepper, locust bean, meat, and palm oil.
7. Amala and Ewedu soup
It is a Yoruba staple food. The soup is made from ewedu leaves, iru, crayfish, pepper and salt.
8. Moimoi
It is made from beans as well. It's a nutritious and easy to make meal. It's made from grounded beans, pepper, salt, egg (optional) and fish.
Hausa Food
Hausa people are found in the northern region of the country and are rich when it comes to food especially for using grains like millet. Some of the native foods are -
9. Tuwo Shinkafa
It is a popular food made in the northern part of Nigeria from parboiled rice used to make a thick pudding and is served with different soups. It is prepared from rice and water.
10. Masa
It is also known as Hausa rice cake, made from tuwo rice that is fermented rice, yeast, sugar and flour. It can be taken with soup.
11. Dambu Nama
It is a shredded or deep fried meat delicacy similar to suya. It can be eaten as a snack or used for rice. It is made from beef, pepper, salt, sugar, groundnut oil and onions and seasoning cubes.
