Nigerian Cuisine

Nigeria is a place of unique foods like moi moi and Nigerian mousse.

They are rich and they enjoy.

Browse All Nigerian Recipes: Nigerian Appetizers | Nigerian Beverages | Nigerian Soups | Nigerian Salads | Nigerian Vegetarian | Nigerian Meat Dishes | Nigerian Snacks | Nigerian Desserts

For the cuisine of Niger, see Nigerien Cuisine

Nigerian Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Nigerian Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


 * Check out the Nigerian Food Glossary

Special Equipment for Nigerian Cooking
In the Nigerian cuisine, a lot of wooden dishes are used for serving meal, or even preparing dishes. Deep serving dishes are required for the traditional Nigerian soups and for the special fish stews. You need to consider cover lids and insulated food carriers to keep the temperature of the food constant, if you plan on serving the dishes at their optimized temperature. Ceramic dishes and plates with floral design are representative for the Nigerian cuisine, and there are also wooden spatulas that are frequently used in the cooking process. Big pots that can be placed over open fires are specific to this cuisine, since a lot of cooking is done outside, over open fire. When cooking deep-frying shrimp, a wok is very ideal for this preparation, since it requires less oil then a conventional deep fryer. A frying shovel or spatula is required when you use the wok for deep-frying, so make sure you have them available as well.

Nigerian Food Traditions and Festivals
Everything related to food traditions in the Nigerian cuisine, is related to culture and history. Many recipes have been passed form one generation to another, and preparation methods resemble very much the ones used in the past. Preparing fufu is one of the special Nigerian traditions, and every family respects it. A new yam festival takes place each year in Nigeria, symbolizing the conclusion of a work cycle and the beginning of another. At this time abundance in food and dishes are available for not just the harvesters, but also for friends and well-wishers. The festival includes cultural dances and ceremonies, as well as eating rituals, meant to express the community's appreciation to the gods for making the harvest of their yams possible. The Egungun Festival is more of a religious mystical event, but still traditional meals like Jollof rice and fried plantains are served in big families. There is also a fishing festival, the Argungu fishing festival, held during February or March, for several days, and is a time to celebrate the fishing crops and blessings, by preparing special fried or stewed fish dishes.

People in Nigerian Food

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In Nigeria, a bit apart from other countries, food is usually homemade, prepared by families for their members only. With frequent occasions, food is prepared outside over open fires and cooked in handmade recipients. However, Nigerian chefs have a great sense of flavor, and they know the secrets to a delicious recipe. The many recipes and even more methods of preparing special traditional Nigerian meals are basically due to the feeling that a chef adds to the cooking process. Combining available ingredients depends on the chef’s personal method, and can result in Nigerian dishes that will become even more original and delicious than the already spectacular ones. The Nigerian chefs take proud in their cooking skills and methods, and one of their many secrets lies in the variety of ways they mix special condiments like sorghum, teff, Barley, and cassava flour. History behind cooking methods and influences has been kept secret from the large majority of people from other cultures.