|
backspade (m)
|
I was asking myself this question last night while I was having my nightly thinking sessions: Why hasn't Nigerian food become mainstream??Cuisine from countries such as Italy, China, Mexico, India, and Jamaica have become household names over the years. One reason (besides good taste) why I think that this has happened is because of the large immigrant communities that these countries have spread around the world. We have a very large diaspora that is present on every continent except Antartica, not to mention Nigerian food is delicious (yeah I'm bias)!! In the UK I expected Nigerian food to be as popular as Indian due to our huge population there (between 800k and 3m people), but to my surprise it is still seen as something "ultra exotic". In the states our Nigerian population is slightly smaller, but we are a very visible group here. Do you think ignorance about Nigeria and Africa as a whole is standing in the way of our cuisine becoming mainstream, or are we as a group failing to advertise our cuisine to the masses?  |
|
|
|
|
|
SeanT21 (f)
|
Nigeria is not the only one. Most African restaurants stay on the downlow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
manmustwac (m)
|
I agree i've sometimes wondered why nigerian cuisine hasn't made it mainstream unlike jamaican cuisine
|
|
|
|
|
|
POSAKOSA1 (m)
|
^^^^^ there are many upscale senegalese restaurants. Restaurants in general are a risky business.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SeanT21 (f)
|
^^^^^ there are many upscale senegalese restaurants. Restaurants in general are a risky business.
Yes, but they are not as famous as the Chinese, Italian, etc.Okay then. @bolded If that's an insult then it goes right back 2 U |
|
|
|
|
|
POSAKOSA1 (m)
|
Nope. Its the yoruba saying "if you can't take a hit, don't give it to someone else" whats a joke to you might not necessarily be a joke to someone else. you know ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
POSAKOSA1 (m)
|
In the U.S. for example, restaurants are the #1 business failures/turn over, <they close down within 6 months to a year of opening>
now if you need for the place to be upscale, then you need money. Most Nigerians would rather use their money for other things, then if you don't have the money, then you need investors and that is very RISKY business, searching for investors,
I think that there are some upscale areas in Atlanta I believe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
I think it is cos we dont patronize it enuf.
How many times do we go on date and order for fufu or some \Nigerian dishes, but we will instead order for italian food
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
its the taste and smell.
most popular foods from around the world smell good and taste good too.
Nigerian foods, it only taste good (most of the time) when you have been eating it since birth.
to me, its the taste and the smell that throws people off.
most african/nigerian food doesnt smell or taste good(unless you have been eating it since childhood).
AND. . .
the look of food also plays a role.
most Nigerian foods arent pretty. lol
just the truth.
i think thats why it hasnt been mainstream.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
its the taste and smell.
most popular foods from around the world smell good and taste good too.
Nigerian foods, it only taste good (most of the time) when you have been eating it since birth.
to me, its the taste and the smell that throws people off.
most african/nigerian food doesnt smell or taste good(unless you have been eating it since childhood).
AND. . .
the look of food also plays a role.
most Nigerian foods arent pretty. lol
just the truth.
i think thats why it hasnt been mainstream.
Na wa oh, what are you on? I have told you to stay away from those cheap wine. . . . You telling me that ogbono smells bad and akpu's smell is not inviting? Tell me what is special with Currie goat and all the jamo food. . . . no make me vex oh |
|
|
|
|
|
IniUbom
|
ah ah, na beanz? di Origingal Poster dey 4 obodo oyinbo tey tey, Akata levels bi dat. na wa 4 backspade.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
Na wa oh, what are you on?
I have told you to stay away from those cheap wine. . . . You telling me that ogbono smells bad and akpu's smell is not inviting?
Tell me what is special with Currie goat and all the jamo food. . . . no make me vex oh
dont tell me you can walk out of your house after cooking african food and not think that you smell bad. IT DOESNT SMELL GOOD!! period. it may smell nice to you because you have been eating it SINCE BIRTH and you have been smelling it SINCE BIRTH. the smell is NOT inviting and most of the time the taste isnt good either. like there are probably a lot of french foods or mexican foods or things like that, that dont smell good and dont taste good unless you have been eating it since birth. good smelling, pretty, and tasteful foods are what make it worldwide. sadly, a lot of nigerian foods dont have that. |
|
|
|
|
|
tpia.
|
they have to try and adapt it to international ie non-Nigerian tastes.
Thats what the Chinese did. Most of what we call Chinese food isnt eaten in China.
But I think couscous is mainstream though we dont eat that in Nigeria.
|
|
|
|
|
|
chic2pimp (m)
|
they have to try and adapt it to international ie non-Nigerian tastes.
Thats what the Chinese did. Most of what we call Chinese food isnt eaten in China.
But I think couscous is mainstream though we dont eat that in Nigeria.
True talk. The Indian cuisine I eat in my friends house does taste different from the ones I buy @ my local indian restaurant.
AND. . .
the look of food also plays a role.
most Nigerian foods arent pretty. lol
THIS!!!!!! Most nigerian foods don't look good. The saying 'Smell & Sight Affects How The Food Tastes' does ring true. If you've been to a chinese/indian house like I've been to,you'll notice that their food does smell a lot however in other to appeal to the international market they've learnt how to cut down on the ingriedient that makes their food generate such strong odour and needless to say it has worked a treat. If they can do this,I see no reason why the same can't be done to nigerian cuisines. Now here comes the most important part 'PRESENTATION'. How many times have you walked past a restaurant,seen a cuisine being advertised and although you've never tasted it b4,you find yourself yearning for it? I have   . If we get our presentation right,i'm willing to bet my bottom dollar that more and more people would be interested in tasting naija food. |
|
|
|
|
|
OgidiBoy (m)
|
Has anyone tried to cut stockfish in their garage? I remember a while back some of my mom's friends came to our house to use the table saw to cut up some stockfish they bought, men that thing stunk up the house for days, all the deferent air freshers we had could not get that smell away.
Nigerian foods taste ok if you used to them but some of the smells are just too much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
Has anyone tried to cut stockfish in their garage? I remember a while back some of my mom's friends came to our house to use the table saw to cut up some stockfish they bought, men that thing stunk up the house for days, all the deferent air freshers we had could not get that smell away.
Nigerian foods taste ok if you used to them but some of the smells are just too much.
thats exactly what im talking about!! the fish is the worst part.  you cant go anywhere to anyplace and expect people to want to eat something that smells like that. as fhemmmy was saying it taste and smells good. well thats only if you are USED TO THEM, as you have said. anywhere else, they wouldnt even look twice, it will send them running. lolol when my mom buys stockfish she buys it already cut. True talk. The Indian cuisine I eat in my friends house does taste different from the ones I buy @ my local indian restaurant. THIS!!!!!! Most nigerian foods don't look good. The saying 'Smell & Sight Affects How The Food Tastes' does ring true. If you've been to a chinese/indian house like I've been to,you'll notice that their food does smell a lot however in other to appeal to the international market they've learnt how to cut down on the ingriedient that makes their food generate such strong odour and needless to say it has worked a treat. If they can do this,I see no reason why the same can't be done to nigerian cuisines. Now here comes the most important part 'PRESENTATION'. How many times have you walked past a restaurant,seen a cuisine being advertised and although you've never tasted it b4,you find yourself yearning for it? I have . If we get our presentation right,i'm willing to bet my bottom dollar that more and more people would be interested in tasting naija food. true true. they need to limit the stinky stuff. lol but then, wont that take away from the taste and the authenticity of the food?  |
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
Our food smells nice and tastes great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
AMAKA. . . . if the way the food is presented is that bad, then, u can repackage it and make it look welcoming
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
Our food smells nice and tastes great.
so it smells nice eh? tell me that you wouldnt mind walking out of an eatery or your house smelling like most nigerians foods. or you want your house to smell like it? it smells good as in it smells "inviting" because we already know the taste and what we are about to be eating. come on, you know it doesnt smell good. taste, you have been eating it from birth. you dont know otherwise. its probably good to you but horrible to others. |
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
regardless of the smell . . . . we have the best dishes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
regardless of the smell . . . . we have the best dishes.
no not really. youre just being too patriotic. lolol but i respect your opinion. |
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
gimme some Nija food and i will be your good friend. . . i hate dem junks
|
|
|
|
|
|
OgidiBoy (m)
|
Hey I love my Nigerian dishes, but my gf pukes everytime I bring something from home to our apartment. |
|
|
|
|
|
Fhemmmy
|
lock her up in the room with it and she will get over the phobia of Nigerian food`s smell |
|
|
|
|
|
OgidiBoy (m)
|
lock her up in the room with it and she will get over the phobia of Nigerian food`s smell Abeg the last thing I need on my record is a felony kidnapping.  |
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
fhemmmy answer this question please. since nigerian food smells so good, could you walk out your house smelling like it? or would you try and freshen up? or could you have your house smelling like nigerian food? im pretty sure your answer is no because it doesnt smell good. who wants to walk around smelling like fufu soup with okporoko (stock fish) ? im pretty sure the answer is no one. so does it smell good to you in the sense that its mouthwatering because you know the taste already? or does it really smell good to you as in you can invite a ton of guest over while making the smelly nigerian foods? lets be honest here. |
|
|
|
|
|
chic2pimp (m)
|
lock her up in the room with it and she will get over the phobia of Nigerian food`s smell Omo you wan torture the poor girl abi. You think she be like you wey fit the smell of akpu & stock fish abi?  regardless of the smell . . . . we have the best dishes.
Yea rite . |
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
ewwwwwwwwww akpu!!!!!!!!!
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
in nigeria i hated that smell.
thank God they dont have it in abundance in the states.
its made from casava, right?
ewwwwwwwwwwww
that stuff smells like throw up when making it.
when i first went to naija i was like "what is that rancid smell?!?!?!"
and my mom had to explain to me that it was fufu the original one.
and all i could think was "YUCK!! im not eating that junk"
and you see, i didnt eat it once nor did i try it.
its the SMELL of rubbish that threw me off.
anytime we had fufu for dinner in naija my mom or my aunt would have garri special for me knowing i wouldnt eat the other choice.
its the SMELL that threw me off. even if it tastes good i couldnt try it.
it sent me running for cover.
lolol
|
|
|
|
|
|
chic2pimp (m)
|
fhemmmy answer this question please. since nigerian food smells so good, could you walk out your house smelling like it? or would you try and freshen up?or could you have your house smelling like nigerian food? im pretty sure your answer is no because it doesnt smell good. who wants to walk around smelling like fufu soup with okporoko (stock fish) ? im pretty sure the answer is no one. I'm sure the same arguement can be used against Indian,Chinese,Italian and English Cuisines. |
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
I'm sure the same arguement can be used against Indian,Chinese,Italian and English Cuisines.
true. but like someone said, they need to adapt and remove some of stuff that makes it stink so bad. maybe then it wont be so much of a turn off. one of my favorite nigerian foods is yam porriage. YUM YUM YUM!! i only eat yams once in a while, too startchy. |
|
|
|
|
|
chic2pimp (m)
|
ewwwwwwwwww akpu!!!!!!!!!
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
in nigeria i hated that smell.
thank God they dont have it in abundance in the states.
its made from casava, right?
ewwwwwwwwwwww
that stuff smells like throw up when making it.
when i first went to naija i was like "what is that rancid smell?!?!?!"
and my mom had to explain to me that it was fufu the original one.
and all i could think was "YUCK!! im not eating that junk"
and you see, i didnt eat it once nor did i try it.
its the SMELL of rubbish that threw me off.
anytime we had fufu for dinner in naija my mom or my aunt would have garri special for me knowing i wouldnt eat the other choice.
its the SMELL that threw me off. even if it tastes good i couldnt try it.
it sent me running for cover.
lolol
LMAO Abeg make una leave akpu alone ooo . Chei naija food no dey comot person hand easy oo. The ogbono wey I chop dis afternoon still dey smell for person hand sha  . |
|
|
|
|
|
THE AMAKA (f)
|
ewwwwwwww with ordinary washing, the smell doesnt seem to stick on my hands though. ewwwwwwwww @ akpu that stuff STINKS!! smells like throw up, for real. i couldnt even try that ish it smelled so bad to me. garri was all i ate in naija cause i wouldnt eat the fufu if thats what we were having that night. |
|
|
|
|
|
![Nairaland [Nigerian Forum] Home](http://www.nairaland.com/Themes/default/images/english/home.gif)
Author
