Finger foods are simply foods that you eat with your hands and there are lots of these in Nigeria. In other words, they don’t need to be served on a plate or eaten with a spoon. These finger foods are sold randomly on street corners and some are regulars in Nigerian occasions. Check out the top list of finger foods in Nigeria.
1. Suya
This is one of the most tasty finger foods in Nigeria and if you’re a Nigerian, there’s a 95% chance that you’ve eaten suya before. Suya used to be something you’ll only find at night and mainly sold by northern Nigerians. However, now you can get suya almost anytime of the day. This food is prepared using beef and other types of meat. It’s garnished with enough pepper, onions, cabbage, and other vegetables. It all depends on the buyers’ preference. You can eat sugar with your fingers but it’s mostly eaten using a toothpick.
2. Chin Chin
Chin Chin is a baked snack that can be prepared in different ways. Basic ingredients include the flour, milk, sugar, etc and you can add whatever special ingredient you like. Chin Chin is usually baked as cubes and strips; the size also depends on how you want it. You can cut the cubes to be very tiny, like small beads, or cut them to be big, little bigger than a sugar cube. This finger food is very tasty and sold everywhere in Nigeria. Also, it’s 100% eaten with the hands.
3. Sausage rolls
Popularly called “Gala” after the first popular sausage roll brand in Nigeria, sausage rolls are something you don’t want to miss. It’s baked like normal rolls but has red beef inside. Aside from Gala, other popular sausage roll brands in Nigeria include Bigi, Supreme, Rite, etc. They are sold in packages and you just have to pop to open and enjoy. People normally take this finger food with soft drinks. You can get sausage rolls from almost any provision store in Nigeria. For long, they’ve been sold for a standard price of N50.
4. Peppered Snails
If there’s one thing Nigerian love, it is peppered and grilled meat. This is why peppered snails are among the top finger foods in Nigeria. However, not many people eat snails which is why you won’t find this finger food as random as the others. Nevertheless, you can get peppered snails in locations such as motor parks, market places, etc. Mainly, sellers hawk this finger food in stakes. You can also get it at restaurants, bars, etc where they sell meat. Peppered snails are sold everywhere in Nigeria but they are more common in some states.
5. Gizdodo
This is a finger food prepared using gizzard (chicken) and dodo (fried plantain), hence the name Gizdodo. It’s a very delicious food as it’s spiced using a pepper sauce. Gizdodo isn’t widely sold as people often prepare it as a home dish. Nevertheless, you can get it from morning fast foods and eateries. This food can be prepared using green peppers or red bell peppers, and any other vegetables you prefer. What more? You can eat Gizdodo along with other foods like fried rice or jollof rice.
6. Meat Pie
If you see any bakery in Nigeria not selling meat pies, just know that they aren’t ready for business. That’s how much Nigerians love this quick snack. The finger food is very common such that it’s also sold in regular stores, not just bakeries. Meat pie in Nigeria is baked somewhat different compared to other places. Just like sausage rolls, meat pies contain beef and can be mashed with carrots and potatoes to make it even tasty. Although not statistically proven, the percentage of someone eating meat pie without a soft drink is below 30%.
7. Buns
You can easily mistake buns for puff puff but, the buns is an entirely delicacy on its own. They are very popular and very cheap. You can get buns for just N10 a piece. The main difference between buns and puff puff is that not much oil is absorbed by the buns compared to puff puff. Buns are very common because they are super easy to prepare. You can finish frying your buns in just 30 minutes. People randomly buy buns to eat as a snack and some people use it for food at home with tea or any other drink.
8. Puff Puff
Here’s the brother to buns. As stated earlier, puff puff absorbs more oil than buns. Hence, puff puff is very soft which is why most people prefer it to buns. Seeing when puff puff is made is enough to make you fall in love with the food. The main ingredients used include butter, eggs, flour, sugar, vegetable oil, water, and yeast. It is more common as a finger food and snack than buns. Puff puff is often said to have originated from Nigeria but, it’s a popular snack all over the world. It’s known as deep fried dough in native English.
9. Asun
Asun comes last on this list so it catches your attention. To a lot of people, this is the most delicious finger food in Nigeria; it doesn’t get better than this. Asun is basically roasted goat meat that has been perfectly prepared and spiced such that you can pay any price for it. There are several recipes for preparing Asun; the meal is somewhat native to the yorubas but there’s the Igbo version of it. Do yourself a favour, if it’s Friday evening walk into any restaurant or eatery and order a plate of Asun. Wash it down with a chilled beer if you take alcohol or, use a chilled bottle of malt.
Bottom Line
Food isn’t something Nigerians joke with. So long as you have the money, you can enjoy all the delicacies in the world in Nigeria. You can start enjoying with this list of finger foods in Nigeria.