So where did the Nigerian Street Food Suya originate?
Suya is the most authentic and traditional food in the streets of Lagos in Nigeria. It needs expertise in preparing.
It is believed that this traditional dish originated among the Hausa people of northern Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, and some parts of Sudan – one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa.
It’s the most delicious and yummy street food. With the varieties of spices, it has a variety of names with respect to the location in West Africa. It’s so addictive that believe me, you will forget any other foods you ever tasted.
What makes Suya so different?
Suya is delicious as the thin slices of beef or chicken are grilled on the charcoal generously. The essential elements are the dry condiments—when a medley happens, it gives a natural taste and these dry flavors are formulated with ground peanuts and red peppers.
The Suya as the name is so simple and doesn’t seem to have any complexity, but it has special features as the flavor is so complex and the taste is strong and pleasant. So you got confused, right? How come so many specialties exist in one dish?
Well, that is also one of the features of Suya. It is complex due to the versatile spices in it and with the different locations, it adds up the ingredients. Suya is so prominent in the Nigerian cuisine that now it has become the national food there with every location dominating with their favorite ingredients. This is so dominant that every kitchen in Nigeria has Suya that can prevail for later use too!
How is Suya served?
It is basically sold individually on the streets of Nigeria while in restaurants, Suya is served with tomatoes or onions.
The fact is that Suya originated among the Hausa people and then moved to the streets of Nigeria, then to the restaurants, and then to the people’s kitchens. It has become the most important dish and is easily available anywhere across Nigeria.
It’s highly rich and nutritive that one must not have to think twice before eating as you can change this recipe according to your own rules as there are no hard-and-fast rules.
In Suya, beef or chicken is used, but it’s not only this, they also use kidneys, liver, and trip, and to make this delicious and spicy, they add some flavors.
Though we don’t know how the name “Suya” came, but this has become the staple food for the Nigerians and can be seen in the evenings at every interval. Suya made itself a Northern Nigerian’s exquisite staple food; however, something more unique is the spice that comes along which is known as “yaji.” This complements well with Suya. Those who have the temperament of extra spice can get yaji along with Suya, which gives extra flavors. It’s an excellent condiment when eaten with white rice and also the best combination.
Suya is more than mere meat, it is a skewered chicken with cow hump, beef or prawns which is marinated with spices and grilled on a barbeque. Making Suya is an art that needs a whole lot of expertise and skill. Suya chefs are well-known for this as they have expertise in marinating spices and grilling on charcoal.
Beware, if you are a newbie there, then you should know that Nigerian people love spicy food, and Suya is so spicy that it can bring tears to your eyes. It is served by wrapping or unwrapping, it depends on the customer. However, what is common is its taste, flavor, delicacy, and legacy which came from a certain tribe to the entire area.
So these were some facts about the amazing, authentic street food Suya which you can definitely try if you visit Nigeria.
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