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What to eat in Nigeria

The 10 best dishes in Nigeria

Big flavors from palm oil, peppers and smoke, with jollof at every party.

1

Jollof rice

Best: Lagos

Rice cooked in a smoky tomato and pepper base, the party dish West Africa argues over.

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2

Egusi soup

Eaten all over Nigeria

A thick soup of ground melon seeds, leafy greens and meat, eaten with pounded yam.

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3

Suya

Best: Kano and Lagos

Thin beef skewers rubbed with peanut-chili yaji spice and grilled over charcoal at night.

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4

Pounded yam

Eaten all over Nigeria

Yam boiled and pounded into a stretchy dough for scooping soups.

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5

Pepper soup

Eaten all over Nigeria

A light, fiery broth of goat or catfish with calabash nutmeg.

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6

Moi moi

Eaten all over Nigeria

Steamed pudding of blended black-eyed peas with peppers and egg.

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7

Akara

Eaten all over Nigeria

Fried black-eyed pea fritters, a breakfast with pap.

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8

Ofada stew

Best: Lagos

Green pepper and locust bean stew with assorted meats and local rice.

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9

Puff-puff

Eaten all over Nigeria

Fried yeast dough balls, sweet and chewy.

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10

Nkwobi

Best: Southeast

Cow foot in a spicy palm-oil paste, with palm wine.

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Photos: each dish's lead photo on its Wikipedia article (license and author on Wikimedia Commons); "a photo like it" is a food photo of the same kind, not that dish. Cook it opens a recipe in Chef Amazing, or Chef writes one for you. Picked by Chef Amazing, November 2026.