Nigerians have come to embrace several unusual food combinations and some of them are downright weird.
Food is one common thing to all the people of the world. It goes without saying that without food, none can exist. However, different people of the world have their different kinds of foods.
Nigeria has a very rich food culture with each tribe laying claims to different types. But apart from the regular foods, Nigerians have over the time come up with different food combinations which can be said to be uncommon. A lot, in this instance, depends on the preference and perhaps, ingenuity of those involved. They can be tagged unusual food combinations, and they are usually taken pending when the real food would be available. In most cases, they are common among students, especially, those who live in hostels.
Bread is one food that is often combined with different kinds of other things. Bread and tea is of course, common, however, it has been combined with different other foods:
Bread and Moi Moi (beans cake) : An unusual combination though, it is common these days. It is very filling.
Bread and pear (Avocado or local pear, Ube): Those who have had this combination would swear it’s the yummiest thing you will ever taste.
Bread and Akara (fried bean cake): This combination is very common. That is why one finds those who sell the beans cake also selling bread for those who want to do the combination.
Bread and noodles: Are you shocked at this one? You shouldn’t be. At Chinese restaurants, soups come with bread rolls as starter and sometimes the soups have noodles in them. As much as one would say this particular idea originated from there, it probably came from hungry students in boarding houses who couldn’t wait for their noodles to finish cooking or as a means to just make it appear more than it was. The noodles are cooked with some water left behind. Put that in the middle of your bread and you have you noodles sandwich!
Other weird food combinations do exist apart from the ones with bread:
Garri and Suya: One way Nigerians have always taken garri is by ‘drinking’ it with groundnuts, milk, or chocolate drinks. Have you tried it with Suya? Some have and claim the experience is elevated!
Corn and coconut: When corn is in season, it is paired with a lot of things, coconut being one of them. Corn with local pear is also a common sight. The two go hand in hand.
Banana and groundnut: The hawkers of banana almost always have groundnuts as well. There are times they wouldn’t sell banana to you if you don’t want the groundnuts. That’s how serious the combination is.
READ ALSO: Netflix acquires Genevieve’s ‘Lionheart’
Garden egg and groundnut: From the stables of traditional marriages all over the South South and South East, this combination has come to the mainstream. It’s almost royalty.
Cassava and coconut: This is another shocking combination. The combination of coconut and the soft cassava that has been soaked in water for days! This should be patented if it is possible.
Those who enjoy different combinations express their views:
Morgan Morgan, Food Technologist: Bread and Moi-moiwas a life saver back in my university days. Why I liked it was its ability to sustain you for a long time. If you have a 1-0-1 eating pattern, bread and moi-moi was just the thing you needed in the morning to take you through the storms of the day and land you safely in the evening.
Idongesit Udo, Fashion Designer: My weird combination is sipping Ijebu garri with cold water, sugar, and suya. The combination is epic. I like it because it’s filling and sometimes I take it as a proper meal.
Edwina Nsa, Chef: Something I loved eating when I was younger was groundnut and hard candy, that is, Sweet. Mix two of them, break and crunch together. It was the bomb then. I don’t know if I would still love it now though. I actually started it as a mistake. I went to buy something and my father called me out of the blues, so I threw everything in my mouth so I could rush and go. It was nice, so I tried it again without rushing.
Chidera Ozonwunma, university student: Garri and cornflakes, especially when it’s Ijebu garri. It’s really nice. I started eating it in boarding school then. I still do it now.
Food is meant to be enjoyed, so try out any of these combinations and see if you like them. You can also create your own. Who knows it may also become a staple.
Tell us in the comment section what other combinations you love.
