West African Food Flavours to Try This Holiday

Christmas time for me is all about moments spent with family surrounded by rich, bold and flavourful meals from Africa. It has actually been several years since I last spent the holidays where I was born in Nigeria, West Africa but I brought a lot of those delicious, foodie memories with me into Canada. The internet has also been a lifesaver as I have found many food bloggers and culinary inspirations from social media to follow. So, in the spirit of the holiday, I’ve done the research to bring to you some of the West African food flavours that you should absolutely try!

Plantain Pancakes

If you have overripe plantains in your kitchen, don’t throw them out just yet. You can use them right before they turn bad to make plantain pancakes that are sweet and delicious. This recipe is a big winner with most kids and would make a great holiday breakfast for the whole family. For a meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make, I think it is very convenient and economical. Here is a good recipe for how to make them below.

Pepper Soup

One meal I miss so much is pepper soup and I especially crave it during the winter months here in Canada when it gets so cold. The soup can be used as a starter to the main meal. It is typically served hot and spicy which is great for treating a cold and I say this because spicy soups are great for keeping the body warm on a rainy/snowy day and opening up the sinuses. But take your advice from a doctor before you go eating pepper soup on the random as medicine. It can also be prepared mild if you cannot handle the heat. Here is a recipe for goat pepper soup with yam that you’re bound to love.

Jollof Rice

Rice is universal but in West Africa, Jollof is a flavourful rice dish that is cooked in a rich tomato, bell pepper and chilli sauce with fresh spices. It comes out looking red or bright orange and can be served with various sides such as barbecued chicken, salads, fried plantains and much more. There are different variations of this rice from one country to another in West Africa with each one tasting slightly differently from Ghana to Nigeria and Sierra Leone but I have found a recipe that you will really like in the video below.

Nigerian Chicken Stew

This red sauce often constitutes the base of every dish I can remember in Nigeria. It is not uncommon for Nigerians to stock up on a whole lot of tomatoes and red bell peppers their fridge. This is reasonable because the stew is a delicious sauce made with tomatoes, red bell peppers and red chillies or scotch bonnet pepper which goes with any type of meal such as potatoes, yams, rice and even bread. Here is a quick video of how to make Nigerian chicken stew.

Gizdodo

This is a tasty Nigerian delicacy that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or side dish with your meal. It is a combination of diced gizzards and ripe plantains fried separately and then sauted in a spicy tomato sauce (similar to the stew) for flavour. Just to clarify, ’dodo’ is another name for the plantain so when you combine it with gizzard, you’ve got the name ‘gizdodo.’ It is simply delicious and is often served with beans or rice dishes.

Puff Puff

I grew up eating this tasty pastry snack and I must confess that it is quite addictive. Since I was young, I have always known it as puff puff in Nigeria but it is also known as mikate in Congo, bofrot in Ghana and gbofloto in Ivory Coast as a popular West African street food. It is easy to make with the most basic ingredients such as flour, sugar, yeast, water, salt. You also have the option of skipping the yeast. Turn puff puff into a desert by pairing it with some ice-cream or yoghurt.

Where to get the ingredients?

Simply refer to the local grocery store in the region where you live and check out the international aisle for ingredients. Don’t worry. Even if you cannot find all the traditional spices, you can always improvise, substitute or skip a few of them altogether as long as you do not lose out on the core ingredients that make up the essence of the food. Another good idea is to specifically search for African food stores near you and shop from them as they would have most of the items you are seeking. When in doubt, visit MyChopChop.ca – an online African grocer.

Which of these West African food flavours would you like to give a try?

Image cover source: Immaculate Bites