I’m not sure who’s in charge of these things, but it’s about time we wrap up the boli, jollof and ofada rice festivals. Before you crucify me, I’m all for celebrating our local cuisines, but let’s be real, are these the OG meals that hold us down?
On your broke and tired AF days, did you go running after firewood jollof or ofada rice with assorted beef? I don’t think so. These are the meals we need to give their flowers from now on.
Garri
Nigerians go on and on about how garri has been a lifesaver since time memorial, but not one person has considered throwing a festival for this meal? Come on now. It’s giving selective favouritism. We need to throw a huge festival of garri lovers for this versatile staple. I mean, it gives us eba, garri cake, garri soup, good ol’ soaked garri with groundnut and more.
Agege bread
Source: K’s cuisines
Right after garri as a lifesaving Nigerian staple is agege bread. I can’t count how many days I didn’t know what to eat and agege bread came through — the hot, fluffy and brown type that soaks up the butter after each spread. We need a festival that’ll have the best agege bread, aganyin beans and akara sellers on ground.
Beans
Source: Playfoodbyyinka
People can act like they don’t give a shit about beans, but in the grand scheme of things, this is one Nigerian staple we can’t seem to do without. Gbegiri, akara, ewa aganyin, moi-moi, beans porridge, beans and corn… do I need to keep going, or can you see the range?
Agbado
At least, we’re sure to get government sponsorship with this one. Our president may roll his eyes at other meals on this list, but we know where his heart is when it comes to maize. We’re living in the agbado season. What better way to celebrate this staple than with an agbado festival? From roasted corn and coconut to buttered corn to boiled corn and ube to beans and corn, the meal options at the festival will be surplus.
Poundo yam
I’ve got a strong feeling that classism is the only reason why we’ve singled out amala to be celebrated out of all the Nigerian swallow offerings. Poundo yam should be that guy. Easy to make, no weird smell and goes well with all the soups you can possibly think of. We’ll just need festival attendees to show up and show off the best soup from their tribes.
Suya
My question is, how did dodo and Ofada rice get their own festivals before suya? Remember all the nights when you needed a chewy protein to accompany your garri, noodles or concoction rice? Suya was there. We’ll change suya’s story soon.
We’re here to change suya’s story. Burning Ram, our latest upcoming meat festival, will give this GOATed meal its flowers.
