FIVE KEY NIGERIAN INGREDIENTS

Palm oil

‘Nigerians finish dishes with palm oil as you would a really good olive oil. The cheap oil you get in the West has no nutrients. But in Nigeria, palm oil is revered. It’s used as food but also in prayer and naming ceremonies.’

Chillies

‘People may disagree, depending on where they come from. But in Western Nigeria we love chillies, like the miango and anambra, which is almost like a proper scotch bonnet with fruity heat.’

Grains of selim and indigenous spices

‘Certain dishes must have that native flavour that requires selim, calabash nutmeg or aidan fruit – a seed pod you cut in half to flavour dishes or use powdered.’

Ogiri

‘A kind of African miso, made from fermented sesame or egusi seeds [dried melon or squash seeds]. There are other important fermented condiments and ingredients used to enhance dishes, such as iru and dawadawa, which are two different types of fermented locust bean.’

Uziza

‘A variety of black pepper that has a distinct aromatic flavour. We also use the peppery leaves as a herb.’