Chop Chop - Cooking the Food of Nigeria

"In Nigeria, the word "chop" is all about food and feasting and "chop chop" a nickname given to someone who loves to eat. And it's no surprise Nigeria has an entire vernacular dedicated to eating-with more than 50 nationally recognized languages and 250 ethnicities, Nigeria's food is as rich and diverse as its people. Think smoky spicy beef suya skewers, egusi stew rich with wild greens, restorative pepper soup, jollof rice studded with tomatoes, soft puff puff dough bites fried until golden, and sweet-tart hibiscus drinks. With ingredients that include nuts and seeds, greens, grains, and cereals (especially in the north), roots and tubers (favorites of the south), and affordable proteins, they come together on the plate in the form of hearty soups and stews, steamed puddings, salads, rice dishes, fritters, and more. Despite the foodway's incredibly flavorful complexity, its recipes have never been gathered in one place. Until now. Author, culinary anthropologist, and Nigerian native Ozoz Sokoh celebrates classic and traditional Nigerian cuisine, through the lens of the home cooks with explanations to underscore the ingredients, flavors, and textures that make it not only beloved but delicious. With headnotes that give cultural and historical context, illuminating sidebars, ingredient profiles, and stunning photographs, Chop Chop will bring Nigeria's food-loving spirit to home kitchens everywhere"--

List of contents

Preface           
The Foodways of Nigeria      
The Language and Lexicon of Nigerian Cuisine
The Nigerian Store
Shop Like a Nigerian
Cook Like a Nigerian            
 
Chapter 1. A Party in Your Mouth: Small Chops and Snacks
Puff Puff        
Mọsa (Plantain Fritters)
Yam Balls      
Spring Rolls   
Samosas         
Stick Meat      
Meat Pies       
Yòyò (Fried Whitebait)
Essay: Plantains and Possibility
 
Chapter 2. When You Wake Up Is Your Morning: Breakfast          
Àkàrà (Fried Bean Fritters)
Mọ́ínmọ́ín Elewe (Steamed Bean Pudding)  
Soaked Garri
Àkàmụ̀ (Fermented Corn Pudding)
Ibyer (Whole-Grain Millet Porridge)
Ẹ̀kọ Tutu (Cold-Set Corn Flour)       
Essay: Agege Bread
Nigerian-Style Omelet           
Nigerian Pancakes     
Egg Sauce
Corned Beef Sauce    
Māsā̀ (Sweet Fermented Rice Cakes)
Essay: Beans and Remembrance       
 
Chapter 3. Knee Chop: Salads
Nigerian Salad
            Homemade Salad Cream
Kwaɗòn Zōgale (Moringa Salad)      
            Ƙulīƙulī Dressing
Ka Nannaḍe (Steamed Toeshoot Bean Salad)           
Àbàchà Ǹcha (Shredded Cassava Salad with Palm Oil Dressing)    
Ọ̀kazị̄ Salad (Shredded Green Salad with Palm Oil Dressing)         
Yedem’blong (Leaf Wraps with Fish and Kola Nut)
Ìmóyò Ẹlẹ̀ja (Fish Escabeche with Salsa)     
Essay: Fruits  
 
Chapter 4. All Day, Every Day: Mains and Side Dishes      
Dòdò (Sweet Fried Ripe Plantain)
Doya (Fried Yam)     
None (Boiled Plantain)
Boiled Yam
Bọlẹ (Roasted Plantain)         
Roasted Yam 
Yam Pottage (Yam Cooked in Sauce)
Essay: Yams, Sweet Potatoes, and Celebration
 
Chapter 5. The Main, the Main: Rice and Beans      
White Rice     
Groundnut or Palm Oil Chop (White Rice, Groundnut Stew, and Lots of Sides)
Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice  
Party Jollof    
Palm Oil Jollof           
Nigerian Fried Rice   
Boiled Beans  
Frejon  (Creamy Beans in Coconut Milk)
Stewed Beans
Garau Garau (Rice and Beans )
Essay: Rice and Its History   
 
Chapter 6. Assorted: Of Meat and More       
Fried Awara (Fried Tofu)      
Fried Fish       
Stewed Gizzards        
Gizdòdò         
Kā̀zān Rīdī (Sesame Chicken)
Beef Sūya̱ (Nutty Spiced Beef Skewers)       
Dambun Nama (Beef Floss)  
Nkwobi (Cow Foot in a Creamy Palm Oil Sauce)    
Essay: Beloved, Unusual, Plant-Forward Proteins
 
Chapter 7. All-Time Favorites: Stews and Sauces    
Classic Stew  
Omi Ọbẹ̀ (Light Tomato Stew)         
Groundnut Stew
            Skinned Roasted Peanuts      
Palm Oil Stew
Chicken Curry
Garden Egg Sauce     
Essay: Spices and Spice Twins
           
Chapter 8. More Than Just Fufu: Swallows
Ẹba (Swallow of Toasted Cassava Grits)      
Ìmóyò Ẹba     
Tapioca Starch           
Tūwōn Masàr̃ā           
Tūwōn Shinkafa        
Pounded Yam
Àmàlà Iṣu      
Essay: Cassava and Ingenuity
 
Chapter 9: Lunch and Dinner of Champions (Sometimes Breakfast, Too): Soups  
Irhíbótọ (Uncooked Soup)     
Chicken Pepper Soup
            Pepper Soup Spice Blend
Ofe Nsala (Thickened Spiced Soup) 
Ewédú (Jute Leaf Soup)
Gbẹ̀gìrì (Light Cowpea Soup)           
Ọ̀gbọ̀nọ̀ Soup (African Mango Seed Soup)
Seafood Okro Soup   
Ẹ̀fọ́ Rírò (Stewed Greens)     
Edikang Ikong (Leafy Greens Soup)
Ẹ̀gúsí Soup (Melon Seed Soup)        
Mīya̱n Taushe (Pumpkin Soup)
Banga Soup (Palm Nut Soup)
            Banga Soup Spice Blend
Essay: Greens and Other Leafy Vegetables
           
Chapter 10: Things to Keep the Mouth Moving: Snacks      
Chin Chin (Fried Dough Bits)
Rock Buns
            Mixed Spice
Kokoro (Crunchy Corn Sticks)
Ƙulīƙulī (Groundnut Cookies)                       
Dakūwa̱r Gya̱dā (Soft Groundnut and Corn Flour Sweetmeat)
Ọkwu Ọjị (Spiced Peanut Butter)      
Essay: Groundnuts and Coconuts      
 
Chapter 11: Sweet Mouth: Desserts and Candies     
A̱lēwa̱r Madara (Milk Candy)
Coconut Candy          
Candied Groundnuts  
Sisi Pelebe (Groundnut Candy)         
Ridi (Sesame Seed Brittle)    
Fresh Fruit Salad
Street Fruit Salad       
Mingau de Tapioca (Tapioca and Coconut Pudding)
Arosidosi (Rice Pudding)      
Crème Caramel
Essay: Beloved Corn
 
Chapter 12: Quench Your Thirst: Drinks      
Zōbṑ (Red Sorrel Drink)
            Ginger Simple Syrup
Lemongrass Drink     
Pineapple Skin Drink
Tamarind Drink
Kunun Aya (Tiger Nut Drink)           
Chapman        
Shandy           
Guinness Cola
Aba Punch (Cocktail of Palm Wine and Stout)
Essay: Guinea Corn, Millet, and Acha          
 
Cuisine Basics
Paste for Ẹ̀kọ Tutu and Àkàmụ̀
Ata Dindin
Coconut Milk
Curry Stock
Fried Meat     
Alkaline Water          
Tomato Stew Base     
Pepper Stew Base
 
Further Reading
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index
 

About the author

Ozoz Sokoh is a Nigerian food writer and educator. A geologist by training, she began documenting her food journey on her blog Kitchen Butterfly in 2009. Central to her work is connectedness through food, food sovereignty, cultural identity, reclamation of food systems, and the joy of eating. Her research and documentation explore the roots of Nigerian and West African cuisine, the impact of West African intellectual contributions to global development from the American South, through the Caribbean to Europe, Central and South Americas, and the connection to the Afro-diaspora.
 
Sokoh has spoken at TEDx and at conferences hosted by the Culinary Institute of America. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Gastro Obscura, CNN African Voices, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, among others.
 
She is a professor of Food and Tourism Studies at Centennial College, Ontario-Canada, where she teaches a variety of courses including Exploration of Foodways. She makes her home with her three teenage children in Mississauga, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Find her online @KitchenButterfly.
 

Summary

An introduction to beloved and trending Nigerian cooking for home chefs, food lovers, and Nigerians, who are the largest African immigrant group in the United States.

Product details

• Authors: Ozoz Sokoh
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 25.03.2025
• EAN: 9781648291890
• ISBN: 978-1-64829-189-0
• No. of pages: 352
• Subjects: Guides > Food & drink > International cuisine; COOKING / Methods / General, Africa, COOKING / Essays & Narratives, Cookery / food & drink etc, General cookery & recipes, National & regional cuisine, National and regional cuisine, Cookery / food and drink, General cookery and recipes, COOKING / Regional & Cultural / African