NigeriaWhat to eat in Nigeria: top 10 dishes
Traveling to Nigeria? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
01Moin moin
Moin-moin, moi-moi or olele (Yoruba: mọ́yín-mọyín, ọ́lẹ̀lẹ̀) is a steamed or boiled bean pudding made from a mixture of washed and peeled beans and onions, fresh red peppers, spices, and often fish, eggs, chicken or crayfish.
Travel tip Often served as a side with jollof rice or as a breakfast item with pap. Look for it wrapped in leaves or sold in small portions at casual eateries.
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02Suya
Suya, also known as Tsire, is a traditional Hausa (Nigerian) smoke-grilled spiced meat on skewer. Suya is generally made with thin-sliced spiced beef, lamb, goat, ram, or chicken arranged on wooden skewers.
Travel tip A classic evening street food, grilled over open fire at roadside stands. It is usually served on paper with sliced onions and tomatoes and a dusting of spicy pepper mix.
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03Afang
Afang soup is a vegetable soup made by the Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The soup is also common to the Efik people of Cross River State. The Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom adopted this soup as part of their cultural identity.
Travel tip A specialty of southeastern Nigeria, found in homes and restaurants serving regional food. It is eaten with a swallow such as fufu or garri.
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04Palm nut soup
Palm nut soup or banga is a soup made from palm fruit common in Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast.
Travel tip Usually a home-cooked or restaurant dish served with starch such as rice or a swallow. Ask for it by the local name banga in some regions.
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05Kuli-kuli
Kuli-kuli is a Nigerian snack primarily made from peanuts, first made by the Nupe people of Nigeria. It is a popular snack in Nigeria, Benin, northern Cameroon and Ghana. Today kuli-kuli is accepted across the globe.
Travel tip A crunchy peanut snack sold at markets and roadside stalls, often in small bags. It is commonly eaten on its own or mixed into pap or garri.
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06Chin chin
Chin chin is a fried snack from Nigeria. It is known as atchomon in Togo and Benin, achomo in Ghana, and croquette or chin chin in Cameroon. It is similar to the Scandinavian snack klenat, a crunchy, donut-like baked or fried dough of wheat flour.
Travel tip A popular fried snack sold in bags at markets and shops and served at parties and holidays. Buy a small pack and enjoy it with a drink.
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07Ogbono soup
Ogbono soup is a staple soup in Nigerian cuisine. It is made with ground dry ogbono seeds. The seed is a major ingredient in various West African cuisines and it is made with considerable local variation across cultures.
Travel tip A thick, slippery soup served at home and in local restaurants alongside a swallow like pounded yam or eba. Eat it by pinching off a piece of swallow and dipping it in.
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08Amala
Àmàlà is a staple okele or swallow food originating from and popularized by the Yoruba ethnic group of southwestern Nigeria and other parts of Yorubaland. It is made of yam, cassava flour, or unripe plantain flour.
Travel tip Dark Yoruba swallow typically served at local eateries with ewedu and gbegiri soups. It is eaten by hand, so wash your hands and dip small pieces.
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10Okpa
Okpa is a dish prepared by the Igbo people with a type of beans known as bambara nuts. It is common the South-Eastern region in Nigeria and classified as a traditional Igbo cuisine. Other ethnic groups also eat it (with pap or soft drinks like (coca cola).
Travel tip A popular Igbo street food, especially in the southeast, usually sold steaming hot in wraps. It makes a filling breakfast or midday snack.
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