Anyone’s first step into the world of Nigerian cuisine usually start with jollof rice, or egusi soup. The Yorubas are very good in making and presenting exquisite Nigerian dishes. Yoruba food is known in the Nigerian community for its rich flavours. Traditional Yoruba food relies on simple combinations that enhance the rich, natural flavours of basic local ingredients. We may not be fluent in Yoruba, but here at Dream Africa, we are fluent in food! Guide your palate through our list of top 10 Yoruba food you have to try. A gba ibi ire oooo!
Amala, ewedu and gbegiri soup
Amala is made from yam into flour and Ewedu is a leaf blended into watery soup. This delicacy is a local dish of the Oyo state people. They like the Amala softly and hot with Ewedu and Gbegiri known as beans soup. It is served at important occasions.
Pounded yam and egusi soup
Pounded yam is mostly eaten with egusi (melon soup). Pounded yam is made by boiling yam without salt and pounding it. Alternative pounded yam is using ready made yam flour but it doesn’t taste like the original. The Ondo and Ekiti people are known to be fond of pounded yam, some other People like their pounded yam with Okro soup. When the Ondo people are expecting important guests, they take their time to make this delicacy. It is believed that when you are offered this food, you mean so much to the person. To see our egusi recipe, click here.
Yoruba stew (one ata dindin)
Obe at a dindin aka buka stew (locust beans stew), is a Yoruba stew prepared using palm oil, hot pepper and assorted meat. It is a common and popular dish in Lagos street food vendors, is also common elsewhere in Nigeria. It’s a traditional Yoruba dish and one of my all-time favorites, not to be mistaken with the regular Nigerian fried stew which is prepared with vegetable/olive oil. To see our locust beans stew recipe, click here.
Ewa agoyin
Every Nigerian beans lover is crazy about Ewa Aganyi. Ewa Agoyin is made up of cooked beans and pepper sauce. It is a delicious beans dish, well-known for its softness and tasty sauce. It is normally made when twins are born or a child with the umbilical cord over his/her neck is born. For these special children, it is believed that beans must be cooked whenever they have special events such as wedding, birthday etc.
Native jollof rice
The local jollof rice made by the Yoruba tribe is a mouth watering dish. A glimpse at the dish could make one salivate. The rice is a local rice unlike the polished one, cooked with locust bean, crayfish, prawn, dry fish, cow skin, palm kernel oil and seasoning cube. To see our native jollof rice recipe, click here.
Adalu
Adalu is a combination of beans and corn, pepper and palm cooked together with flavourful seasoning and spices. Most Yoruba’s ate lots of this delicious meal when growing up, so they have deep love for it.
Moi moi
Moi Moi is a Nigerian staple food which is very rich in protein. Moi Moi is a cooked bean pudding made from combination of grounded – pealed beans, pepper, and onions. It is very delicious and tasty.
Efo riro soup
Semovita has become a popular food in Nigeria especially among the Yoruba speaking area, it serves as an alternative for Pounded yam. People who do not want to go through the stress of pounding yam prefer eating Semovita. Semovita is usually taken with Efo Riro (Vegetable soup) which makes the meal more delicious and nutritious. It can be taken with any type of soup. Semovita is made from bleached wheat and grinder into powder. To see our efo riro recipe, click here.
Akara and pap
Nothing makes your Saturday morning better than waking up to the sweet aroma of Akara (beans cake) with freshly made pap. This meal is so delicious and tasty. It seems like everybody’s meal timetable for weekends is akara and pap. You will hardly find a house where Akara and Pap is not on the table on Saturdays.
Ofada rice
Ofada Rice is locally grown and cultivated in Nigeria by the Yoruba. What makes it special is its unique flavour and aroma. The local rice is mostly served with pepper sauce with palm kernel oil and different parts of meat.
We also recommend our guide to the top 10 Nigerian chefs to follow on Instagram.
Please subscribe to our African Music channel, Afrobeats Card, the go-to YouTube channel for all your favourite afrobeats artists, hot new afropop songs and the trending hit songs as well as weekly videos of the Best New Afrobeats Music (New Afrobeats Songs), and more!
