Nigeria and diet
What it is: Skewers of intricately spiced cuts of meat, grilled to perfection over an open flame. Gender roles are changing, particularly in the cities, but Nigerian society is still male-dominated. These are dried and then ground into flour to make a thick paste or dough. What it is: A soup made from ground ogbono (African mango) seeds plus palm oil, stock and spices. Crack open a Supermalt and eat it on the veranda. What it is: A pottage made of beans and plantains. Often served with sharp, raw chopped onions, and wrapped in newspaper. Best enjoyed with piping hot dodo (see below) and a cold Supermalt. But traditional meals are often based around a starchy staple. This variation balances the nuttiness of brown beans with the natural sweetness of plantains, and the palm oil adds a rich smoky taste to it. Many people swear by catfish pepper soup as the definitive soup, while others claim goat meat makes the best version. What it is: Basically deep fried, light-as-air sweet dough balls, served alone or with sugar sprinkled over them. There are recipes here, here, or this one here. Women generally have more freedom and influence in the south, but even here they are expected to look after the home and children. In wet areas of the southern Niger Delta, homes of wood and bamboo are built on stilts. In places where these leaves are unavailable, people substitute spinach.
People also use a mix of meats and fish, and for authenticity, periwinkles. The key to excellent suya is the spice mix (yaji) it is steeped in before grilling, and the Mallams will never share their recipes. In rural parts, many people still live in traditionally built mud-walled houses with thatch roofs. In many regions, women tend smallholder plots and carry out activities such as taking spare produce to market or processing palm oil to make a little money. The (iron-rich) greens are a mixture of ugwu (a fluted pumpkin leaf) and gbure (waterleaf). With so many groups and cultures, foods vary. They taste amazing when eaten with Agege bread. You can add extras like chunks of boiled plantain or yam, as well as a dash of palm oil to serve. The joy of suya is finding the best spots in your state. What it is: Crunchy cubes or strips of sweet, deep fried pastry. What it is: Not whatever the hell Jamie Oliver said it was. Nigerians without wealth often have to make do with poorly-constructed shanty homes in overcrowded areas of the cities. Most people use peeled brown beans, ground and blended with onions and spices, and fry in vegetable oil. With so much poverty across Nigeria, people who manage to gain wealth can elevate themselves in society. There are many variations on it, too: cooked alone, with vegetables, with or without meat or fish, with okra, or even with added melon seeds (egusi). The photo above, a tilapia steak pepper soup, comes from here.
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