If you love food as much as we do, then you can’t afford to miss this. As you may already know, one of the perks of being Nigerians is that we get to enjoy a variety of delicacies. A nation with diverse cultures, we are blessed with so many local delicacies the list is endless. For food lovers, there’s no limit to how much we can eat. In fact, we wish our stomach was bigger to accommodate more food.
It might interest you to know that some of your favorite Nigerian foods aren’t “Made in Nigeria,” they originated from foreign lands but have become house hold names in this part of the world.
Here are five foods we eat in Nigeria that have foreign origins.
- Jollof Rice
At the mention of Jollof Rice in a discourse involving other countries, Nigerians get defensive and are ready to argue till tomorrow that this delicious meal belongs to them. The battle for ownership is heightened when Ghana is involved. The Naija Vs Ghana Jollof hash tag online always makes an interesting read.
While we love our Naija Jollof and have no doubt that it’s better than Ghana Jollof (yes, we are patriotic), we must inform you that the loved dish didn’t originate from either country. It’s said to have originated from the Senegambian region of the Jollof Empire.
- Fried Rice
Nigerians aren’t in battle with anyone over ownership of this yummy delicacy – and that’s because they are convinced that it originated from this country. Fried rice tops the list of favorite meals for most Nigerians, so it breaks our heart to reveal that this special occasion meal didn’t originate from here. Fried rice is believed to be of Chinese origin, particularly from the Sui Dynasty in the Eastern Jiangsu province.
- Coconut Rice
I’m yet to come across someone who doesn’t like Coconut. If everyone loves Coconut, it suffices to say that everyone loves Coconut rice. Nigerians love the tummy-happy meal because it has a unique taste from the conventional rice. Since Coconut is grown in this part of the world, it’s understandable that Nigerians think they are the originators of Coconut rice. But no, we are not. Coconut rice is said to have originated from Southeast Asia, South Asia and Latin America.
- Corn Soup
Our brothers and sisters from the South South will be more familiar with this one. Commonly referred to as “Omi Ukpokpa,” it’s a favourite delicacy of the Afemai people of Northern Edo State. Made from Corn, the delicious meal is traced to Native Americans who grow corn in abundance. Corn soup has varieties that are no less delicious. The origin of foods is important to preserve the identity of a people.
The next time you are devouring a delicious meal, you should take a moment to ponder about where it originated from and acknowledge the originators of such food for giving your mouth and stomach reasons to be happy.