Category: Nigerian Cuisine

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On Prekese/ Aidan/ Aridan Fruit

I’ve almost always used the dried version and so haven’t had the opportunity, till recently to truly get a whiff of the buttery, caramel, chocolate notes the aidan pod has trapped within it. A winged pod, with 2 hard, inedible and 2 soft, edible wings, it is a core ingredient in my mother’s pepper soup....

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Finally Named: ‘Banga Stick’ is Liquorice!

Updated, May 29th with a table, also confirming the name! For years, I’ve called it banga stick or oburunbebe, as learned from the interwebs. All attempts to find the botanical name drawing blanks. But researchers stay researching – once one, always and forever one. Some skills to being a good researcher are: Observation: when you...

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The Journey to Names and Provenance – Umilo & Gbafilo

From market to web page, it seems – despite their size and appearance differences – that umilo and gbafilo might be related, after all. Proof that sameness is beyond appearance. In my search for the botanical name for umilo, I happened upon an article referring to umilo by Parinari excelsa, the botanical name which I ‘knew’...

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Pepper Soup Spice Detective: Umilo/ Omilo But…

Updated – 30th May, 2019 – Name found – its the cocoa plum (amongst other names) …still searching. And still, when in doubt, observe. When you don’t know the what or why or how, focus on what you can see, hear, smell, touch, feel, taste, focus on observing. I know one name of this peppersoup...

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On Pepper Soup Spice & Finding Names

Updated 29th May 2019, with the botanical names for Omilo/ Umilo I am an explorer. The thrill of discovery is blood to my bones such that rifling – if you can call electronically paging through pdfs that – through documents about the organoplectic nature of xyz are adventure hunts for me. One of the things...

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An Ode To Jollof

It deserves ALL the accolades. It includes my thoughts and voxpop, real views from real people on the Nigerian street. For bringing us to the table and kitchen, giving West African countries something to fight about 🙂 and something to unite over cc: #Jollofgate What do you think?

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Definition: Jollof Wars, #Jollofwarz

Jollof Wars. A compound phrase made up of two words: Jollof of a red, spiced rice dish loved in every city and town ‘South of the Sahara’ and along the coast of West Africa. Synonyms: Djolof, Benachim (Gambia); Thiéboudienne (Senegal) Wars a state of competition or hostility between different people or groups. “she was at war with her parents” Characteristics The...

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Lagos Food Festivals: Jollof & Other Things

Brought to you by your faves: Kitchen Butterfly & Eat.Drink.Lagos, because Jollof is life. If you beg to differ, show me where the fried or coconut rice celebration is at? I dare you. This year, we’re celebrating Jollof rice and ALL the things that it allows in the supporting cast. Because though J rice is...

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New Yam Bake

New yam, new yam. By the end of June, I’m clamouring for the ground to give up its harvest of fresh yams – moist, white-fleshed, even if tasteless not as tasty as old yam, because by this time, old yam is both dry and spongy, and frankly hit and miss to select. When new yam...