Nigerian Food

Getting access to Nigerian food has been a bit of a challenge. The restuarant in the camp only serves Nigerian food (one item) at lunch on weekdays. I have paid my neighbor's wife (a Nigerian) and a couple of the local girls to cook for me. Those results have been a bit hit or miss.

The staple starch, at least in my chunk of Nigeria, is garri. Made from cassava, it really doesn't have much flavor of its own. Garri does pick up flavors well. The most popular technique for eating it is to pinch off a chunk, roll it in you hand, then use the ball of garri to scoop up a bit of food. I have tried this and it must be a more complex maneuver than it looks, I never got the hang of it. I tend to put some garri in the bottom of a bowl and put the soup or stew on top of it. What can you say... Americans.

Soup or stew. To be honest I am not always sure what makes one dish soup and another stew. Both tend to have the consistency I would think of as stew. Though in this they are pretty similar to the "soup" I make.

Nigerian food it very flavorful, but one warning, it is hot. Seriously hot. One of the key ingredients is "pepper." This is where things can get lost in translation. When a Nigerian says "pepper" what they mean is a small roundish chili which has to be a close relative of the habenaro. And they don't skimp on it. A couple of the dishes I have tried rate as some of the hottest food I have ever put in my mouth. Lucky I like hot food.

When I return I am planning on finding ways to do more exploring of the local foods. Even learn how to prepare a few things. The food really is tasty a really enjoyable part of the whole experience.