There are a lot of ethnic groups in Nigeria, and to each ethnic group is a particular kind of art and craft, dance, music and so on. Also, each tribe or ethnic group has dishes that are attributed to them. However, there are certain dishes in Nigeria that are not peculiar to any people. Below are some of the popular dishes in Nigeria;
Jollof Rice
Nigeria has a long list of popular and tasty dishes. However, if jollof rice is not mentioned among them, then it obviously shows that whoever compiled the list does not have any idea what they are doing. Jollof rice is eaten by every man, woman, and child irrespective of their tribe, language or ethnicity. It is eaten by both rich and poor, so it is not peculiar to any type or calibre of people.
Beginning last year, there has been an ongoing argument regarding which country prepares the best jollof rice in between Nigeria and Ghana, although there has not been an actual cooking contest between both countries, I’m pretty sure that no country can beat the jollof rice prepared by a Nigerian woman.
Egusi Soup
Egusi seeds emanate from seeds rich in both protein and fats in cucurbitaceous plants for example gourd, squash or more commonly melon. After these seeds have been removed from the plants, they are dried up and grinded for use as ingredients of food. Egusi soup is made from these Egusi seeds. The grinded seeds made the soup thick after being put in water and oil is added to it. Apart from the seeds, the water and oil, Egusi soup also has included in it, vegetable leaves like bitter leaf, spinach, celosia, and pumpkin leaves. Egusi soup could also be prepared with tomatoes, okra and seasonings like onions, chilli peppers, locust beans, meat, crayfish, shrimps, goat or beef.
Egusi is not only popular in Nigeria, but also in West Africa as a whole.
Garri
Garri is a Nigerian meal that is made from cassava. The processing of garri is as follows; the cassava is harvested and its covering peeled off, it is ground after which it is put in a pan and fried. There are majorly two kinds in Nigeria – white garri and yellow garri. Yellow garri is not fried with palm oil but white garri is not. Garri has been said to save Nigerians from hunger and starvation for a really long time.
The processed garri does not take a lot of time to prepare. It can be soaked in cold water and consumed with sugar (though some prefer salt and sugar combined and others consume it with neither), milk (also noncompulsory) and either groundnuts or Kuli Kuli, some even consume it with coconut. Garri can also be soaked in hot water and turned with a spatula to make Eba and consumed with any kind of soup.
Akara
Akara is a dish that is made from beans, hence, it is referred to as bean cake. In Nigeria, akara does not really have a particular time in which it is being consumed. However, some people prefer to eat it as breakfast while others prefer to have it for dinner. Akara is eaten along with Pap (commonly known in western Nigeria as Ogi or akamu) custard or Agidi.
The process of making akara is quite tedious. You start first by soaking the beans in water long enough for you to be able to separate it from the chaff. After doing that, you grind it preferably with pepper or chilli pepper, once it is ground, you add a bit of salt before dipping it into a pan of hot groundnut oil on fire with a spoon. As they fry, the beans is formed into balls because of the oil and when you bring them out, and your akara is ready.
Moi moi
Moi moi is another popular dish in Nigeria that is also made from beans. The difference between akara and moi is not far-fetched. They take almost the same process, only that after the beans is ground with pepper, the person preparing the meal adds salt, and in this case, cray fish, eggs, fish, and even beef after which it is tied up in a nylon or wrapped in a leaf (moi moi elewe). Moi moi is mostly different from akara in that it is not fried, rather, it is cooked, or sometimes baked.
Moi moi can be served for consumption either as a main meal or as a side meal combined with jollof rice, as well as pap (ogi or akamu) and with Eko (agidi).
