Five Meaty Treats in Nigeria

A meat country

Nigerians love meat. For many, no meal is complete if it doesn't include some kind of meat. Indeed, there are many kinds of meats to choose from and some of them can be served alone.

Enjoyed by hand

Nkwobi can be eaten by picking pieces of the meat with the hands. Many people do this following the customary practice of eating local food with one's hands. According to some, the meal is enjoyed better this way.

Miniature mortar

Nkwobi spices are pounded and mixed with the traditional miniature wooden mortar and pestle to form a paste, and then mixed with the cooked cow foot.

The miniature wooden mortar, also known as "okwa", is significant in the cooking process of the Igbos. It is one of the symbolic gifts given to the bride by her family to ensure her family never goes hungry. "Okwa" is used to pound the ehuru seeds, a special Nkwobi ingredient, and the final delicacy is often served in the wooden mortar.

Garnishing for pleasure

Nkwobi is traditionally garnished with sliced onions and fresh utazi leaves, which adds an enjoyable bitter flavour to the delicacy.

Smooth and succulent

Ponmo is regularly served and enjoyed in many local restaurants and bars. Its smoothness means that it is easy to swallow when cooked thoroughly.

Cooked...but not yet ready

To be edible, ponmo needs to be boiled for a while to kill the bacteria and to make it soft and easily digestible. Cooked ponmo can also be bought directly from the market and eaten immediately. However, people love to add them to soups or stews before consuming them.

The real deal

Ponmo is at its delicious best when served on its own as peppered ponmo. Otherwise, it can be used as one of the condiments to give flavour to soups.

Hot, cold and refreshing

Hot, spicy, peppered ponmo combines very well with a cold drink of local palm wine or any other similar drink. The result is a truly refreshing taste especially on a warm evening.

Cow stomach lining

Tripe refers to edible lining from the stomach of a cow but also includes the lining from the stomach of any ruminant. It is one of the ingredients of spicy beef offal.

Common ingredient

Cow offal (or "inu eran" which literally means "inside the meat") is used to cook several soups and stews across the south-west of Nigeria.

Standalone too...

On its own, inu eran can be specially seasoned with pepper, onions and spices to create this special side dish.

Wild and living

Animals such as pangolin, grass cutters, antelopes, wild pigs, rabbits, squirrels, alligators, crocodiles and other non-domesticated animals are used in the preparation of bushmeat.

Roasted for later

After cooking, the meat is usually roasted until it's dry. Roasting ensures that the meat can be stored for up to three months.

A red roast

When the meat is to be consumed immediately, it is roasted using some red seasoning (made with pepper) so that it is attractive to buyers.

Irreversible delight

Thanks to the chemical action of the roasting process, the red seasoning completely changes the colouring of the meat.

A full, healthy meal

A single piece of meat is large enough to be enjoyed as a full meal. That's actually not a problem because, when cooked properly, bushmeat is a delicious delight. It's also known to be rich in vitamins and minerals.

Bushmeat is said to have low saturated fat, which makes it healthier than other meats. It is also low on calories when compared with beef and pork.

Roasted chicken

Roasted chicken is a delicacy. It can be prepared and sold as chicken suya, an alternative to the regular beef suya. When prepared this way, the same seasoning and spices used for regular beef suya are used, which gives it a lovely taste.

What's your pick?

Chicken wings, thighs and breasts are just some of the parts that people love. It's all a question of people's preferences and experiences growing up with this type of meat.

Jollof rice and chicken

Rice (as fried, jollof or some other flavour) with chicken is a very a common combination eaten regularly by Nigerians everywhere. It is served at anytime, for any occasion, but especially on special days.