Nigerian Foodstuff: A Colourful Spectacle at the Market

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is a key ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, such as stews, sauces, fried foods, rice variants and more. There are many local and imported brands of vegetable oil to choose from.

Smoked dry fish

Smoked dry fish is an important ingredient in many soups and stews. It is popularly called panla in the market, and it is delicious. It transforms dishes with its sweet taste and rich smell and flavor.

Smoked Titus

Smoked Titus is sold whole in the market. It is a great and flavor-filled addition to soups and stews.

Chilli pepper

Chilli pepper is a long red pepper sold in the market. It is hot and spicy and used to prepare stews in Nigeria. Yorubas call it "ata ijosi" or "sombo".

Scotch bonnet

Scotch bonnet is a red pepper sold in the market and used in almost every dish in Nigeria. It is popularly called "ata rodo" in the market.

Scotch bonnet, sold in plates

Scotch bonnet is sold in little plates in the market.

Yellow scotch bonnet

The yellow "ata rodo" is extra spicy and has more pepper than the red version. It is majorly used in soups.

Fresh tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes are sold all over the market place. Some sellers push them on wheelbarrows while others have stalls where they display them. They are a major ingredient in Nigerian stew.

Fresh onions

Fresh onions are sold in wheelbarrows or in stalls in the market. They are used for stews and in many other dishes.

Making a typical Nigerian stew

Nigerian stew consists of various peppers, tomatoes and onions, all blended together and cooked with vegetable oil and spices of choice.

Blending ingredients for stew

There are locally-made industrial machines used to blend in the market, so most people blend their stew mix in the market before going home. This reduces their cooking time.

Dried peppers and spices

Dried peppers and spices such as ginger, garlic, ground peppersoup spices and fresh coconuts are on display.

Okra

Fresh okras are sold in the market. Some of them are grated and sold in nylon bags to help reduce cooking time at home, while others are sold fresh and whole, in small plastic plates. These plates have prices attached to them.

Waterleaf

Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) is one of the main ingredients for preparing edikaikong soup. The Igbos also have a soup called waterleaf soup.

Ugu

Ugu is one of the most common Nigerian vegetables. It is used in edikaikong soup, egusi soup, ogbono soup and other dishes as well.

Chop Chop

Ugu is sliced in the market at an extra fee to the buyer. It makes cooking easier for the buyer.

Eko

Eko is a meal prepared with ogi, a fermented cereal pudding made from maize, millet or sorghum. The ogi is prepared and immediately wrapped in banana leaves or white nylon bags. It can be eaten in many ways, with any kind of soup or with milk and sugar.

Spring onions

Spring onions, also known as scallions, is one of the main ingredients in Nigerian fried rice. It has a strong bitter-sweet flavor.

Fried rice and salad ingredients

Ingredients for fried rice and salad are sold together in the market. They include green peppers, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, carrots, peas, runner beans, garlic, lemon, cabbage, beetroot.

Garlic

Garlic is a superfood that is enjoyed a lot by Nigerians. It is either eaten raw or added to smoothies and juices. It is also added to a lot of dishes like soups, stews, and rice variants.

Palm kernel

Palm kernel is an edible seed belonging to the oil palm fruit. It is used to prepare banga soup, banga stew, abak atama and obe eyin ikpogiri.

Crayfish

Crayfish is a Nigerian spice that is used all over the country. It is caught fresh in the water, dried and ground to fine powder, and is incorporated into almost every dish.

Ogbono seeds

Ogbono seeds are sold in the market. They are mostly planted in the south-eastern part of the country and are finely ground to a powder before they can be cooked.

African Pepper

African pepper, also known as Grains of Selim, consists of skin and seeds. The seeds are bitter. The skin is commonly used in pepper soups and other kinds of soups. It is also used to purify water and is added to palm wine as a flavourer.

Uyayak

Uyayak is also known as Tetrapleura tetraptera. It has a sweet aroma and is incorporated into peppersoup after it has been ground to powder.

Uziza

Uziza is a spice that is used to prepare peppersoup due to its rich flavor and smell. It is also called piper guineense. Yorubas call it Iyere, Igbos call it Uziza and Ibibios call it Edusa.

Kanafuru

The English name for kanafuru is cloves. It is an aromatic spice that Nigerians incorporate into peppersoup, especially the peppersoup cooked for women that have just had babies. It is famed for its healing powers. Kanafuru is also used in local herbal drinks like agbo and aseje, which are drinks used to detox the system and flush out excess sugar.

Ground turmeric

Ground turmeric is a herb that is incorporated into several Nigerian dishes like jollof rice, other rice variants, soups, smoothies and juices.

Fresh turmeric

Fresh turmeric is also sold in the market and also used in soups, stews, smoothies, juices and rice and pasta meals.

Banga stick

Banga stick is used to spice up banga soup. It gives the soup a rich, sweet flavor and taste. It is washed and put into the soup as it cooks. Once the soup is ready, the banga stick is removed.

Kaun/ Akaun

Kaun is potash. It is used to cook meats as it makes it soften faster, and it is also added to soups and stews to thicken them. Many pregnant women crave it and lick it during pregnancy.

Home sweet home

It's time to prepare and put together all the lovely ingredients into delicious dishes.