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Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? - Food (7) - Nairaland

Nairaland ForumNairaland GeneralFoodWhy Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? (22516 Views)

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Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Silentgroper(m): 10:11pm On Sep 07, 2025
Daytonbale:
Hausa Call it Garo Garo
Wrong .
.garos garos is made with rice and beans cooked together with semi hot ground nut oil garnish with semi fried onions which is sprinkled on the rice and beans with yaji already placed in it..

Garos garos has no spaghetti...
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by wiseone28: 10:28pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
Garos garos, this is one food they actually eat with protein oo, meat especially atleast from those I used to get this from , she sells meat with it.

Tuwo shinkafa ..

Those are the best gaysa food to eat ..

Then is this thing in which they add raw egg to their yam or potato even chicken and fry it together .. dunno what it's called but this one bangs too due to the yaji added to it ....



No one should ever try eating dokunnu though, that the worst food I have I ever eaten , the food is so bland Like ..
The moment you enter north that's the only thing that smells everywhere till you leave 😁😁

I used to wonder what is always smelling like that in the evening till I got to know it
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Silentgroper(m): 10:48pm On Sep 07, 2025
wiseone28:
The moment you enter north that's the only thing that smells everywhere till you leave 😁😁

I used to wonder what is always smelling like that in the evening till I got to know it
They practicalky fry the egg with anything they can find . .. it's crazy but gaddemm it taste good ..


Btw, I have never been to the north. All these I encountered somewhere in the south west in an area called Sabo...
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by folake4u: 10:48pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
Since the very first I tasted yaji , I also don't joke with it .

E get one time wey dey chop am with bread sef ...

Very tasty thing .
I know right!!! Very tasty. kiss
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by wiseone28: 10:55pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
They practicalky fry the egg with anything they can find . .. it's crazy but gaddemm it taste good ..


Btw, I have never been to the north. All these I encountered somewhere in the south west in an area called Sabo...
oh, when you get there that's the only thing you will smell there especially in the evening. I taste one it was tasteless. Boiled yam then mixed with raw egg and fry. 😁
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Silentgroper(m): 10:58pm On Sep 07, 2025
wiseone28:
oh, when you get there that's the only thing you will smell there especially in the evening. I taste one it was tasteless. Boiled yam then mixed with raw egg and fry. 😁
Dem no add yaji put??
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by wiseone28: 11:05pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
Dem no add yaji put??
Na like that I buy am 😁 it was so tasteless..

I don't even know what is yaji
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Silentgroper(m): 11:09pm On Sep 07, 2025
wiseone28:
Na like that I buy am 😁 it was so tasteless..

I don't even know what is yaji
Tasty grinded pepper..

Imagine grind pepper filled with seasonings..

The peppers they add to suya..

Maybe It has finished. Cause they add it without you even asking ..

I enjoyed the one I ate though..
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Mariangeles(f): 11:20pm On Sep 07, 2025
Onegai:
I've never had Indian street food before but I did eat home cooked and restaurant Indian food, I used to cook it at some point too (there was one Indian boy in my life back then and I was convinced Shah Rukh Khan would be my in-law...😔). I think I fell out of love with Indian food (same period I fell out of love with my Indian bros) because it kind of feels...heavy to my palate, just like Nigerian food.

Which is why I always love East Asian and South East Asian: bring that Sushi here, grill that Sichuan fish, how about some Japchae grin

Hausa food, it kind of looks like they depend mostly on non-traditional spices, which may be why it's unappealing to most. I don't know about their hygiene, I'm pretty sure if there was a Hausa food restaurant it would be hygienic.
One thing I like about indian cuisine is their use of variety of whole spices, and how they usually prep them from scratch before using.
And they hardly use seasonings too, at least from what I've observed.
I do wonder how their dishes taste like without seasoning though.

About feeling heavy on the palate? I can imagine, considering their heavy use of spices.

Sushi? I don't think I can try that. 😬

As for Hausa (northern) dishes, I've tried to see if there's any that interests me enough to try to recreate, but there's hardly any.
Most of the rice dishes I've seen their food bloggers cook are more like Mediterranean rice recipes.

They're just in a world of their own sha.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by wiseone28: 11:22pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
Tasty grinded pepper..

Imagine grind pepper filled with seasonings..

The peppers they add to suya..

Maybe It has finished. Cause they add it without you even asking ..

I enjoyed the one I ate though..
ok was the one you bought yam?
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Mariangeles(f): 11:26pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
Tasty grinded pepper..

Imagine grind pepper filled with seasonings..

The peppers they add to suya..

Maybe It has finished. Cause they add it without you even asking ..

I enjoyed the one I ate though..
It's more of a combination of spices, with seasoning and salt added.
I appreciate that from them as well.

One can make roasted chicken at home with that.
It comes out very tasty.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Silentgroper(m): 11:26pm On Sep 07, 2025
wiseone28:
ok was the one you bought yam?
. Yeah it was yam
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by wiseone28: 11:42pm On Sep 07, 2025
Silentgroper:
. Yeah it was yam
I'm surprised because since then I didn't bother to buy it again
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Coolgent(m): 11:58pm On Sep 07, 2025
CodeTemplarr:
Their hygiene has a bad reputation and that will always affect how their meals are accepted by outsiders. I will be less willing to try out their meal compared to Calabar people's because of difference in reputation.

They dig water well close to soakway so imagine what water is being used for processing. Especially those household prepared small-chops. Imagine the water inside.
Do they shit in nylon?
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by CodeTemplarr: 12:41am On Sep 08, 2025
Coolgent:
Do they shit in nylon?
do they have babies in nyloms?
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest: 1:10am On Sep 08, 2025
Obavoh:
Growing up in the North I didn’t really take note but I just realized that

Yoruba restaurant —> Yoruba+Igbo+Hausa Customers

Igbo restaurant —> Igbo+Yoruba+Calabar Customers

Calabar restaurant—> Yoruba+Igbo+Hausa+Calabar

Hausa restaurant—> Northerners

Just last month there was a small riot in the company I work for.
The Hausa woman that cooks in our Canteen serves only Northern food and soups.
We have 70% Northern workers and 30% Southerners.

The South boys usually prefer to leave the company and go to a restaurant far in the village just to eat lunch everyday. I have never seen them eat our food.

The company had to bring in a Calabar woman to cook for them after much protest. This woman’s food is more expensive but they don’t complain.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest: 1:25am On Sep 08, 2025
Flows001:
You guys should learn to be specific, not every Northerner or Northern state is the same.
Be reminded that Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, e.t.c are all tagged "Northern" States (including Abuja).

The comments above are all specifically pointing towards the Hausas, hence, the word "North" shouldn't apply here because not only the Hausas live in Northern Nigeria
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest: 1:29am On Sep 08, 2025
dom:
Try the Hausa Restaurant behind Frazier Suites in Abuja. A lot of varieties . Very tasty too.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest: 1:31am On Sep 08, 2025
Lithiumite:
When I was based in Abuja,there was this canteen we used to eat everyday which belonged to a southern borno woman,biu lga precisely......this woman's cooking was damn sumptuous,jollof,fried rice,rice a stew,vegetable,egusi even porridge beans,all were heavenly......omoh till today I still remember her food and I am from the south.....I am the type that loves meat to be very tender and this woman does justice to it all the time.....she cooks meat perfectly than most southerners I have seen.....this was about 17 years ago and I still remember her.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest: 1:43am On Sep 08, 2025
U09ce:
Most of the comments here are stereotypical. 'Too much seasoning' 'No meat' 'little oil' bla bla. Who set the standard for amount of seasoning, meat and oil?

You have your food which you enjoy, that's good. But don't disparage that of others.

There are a lot of foreign cuisines which people consider exotic but I don't savor them. That doesn't mean they aren't good.
Indeed, there's a lot of low self-esteem, confirmation bias, deliberate disinformation and bigotry associated with these sorts of highly IRRESPONSIBLE attacks on Hausa cuisines on this NL thread and on other online platforms.

There are standard restaurants where Northern and Hausa cuisines are served. There are Northern and Hausa, Kanuri female food YouTubers who offer the best in modern culinary skills. Period.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by stuffs2002: 1:44am On Sep 08, 2025
Flows001:
You guys should learn to be specific, not every Northerner or Northern state is the same.
Be reminded that Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, e.t.c are all tagged "Northern" States (including Abuja).

The comments above are all specifically pointing towards the Hausas, hence, the word "North" shouldn't apply here because not only the Hausas live in Northern Nigeria
I totally agree with you.
Kwara, Kogi and Benue do not eat those Hausa foods
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Konquest:
folake4u:
I like Dambu Nama, Suya, Kilishi, Kosai (sprinkled with enough yaji).

I'm not a fan of Masa, tuwo, or fura.

Recently, I bought yaji all the way from Kaduna for my noodles. There's this flavour it gives. kiss
In terms of taste buds acclimatization, I can deduce that you've almost become a far Northerner already since you like some of these meat-based cuisines above. Indeed, the peppery mix (or yaji)🌶️ consisting of dry peppers, peanuts, ginger, and some other secret spices is impressive!.

If you ever find yourself in the Allen Avenue area of Ikeja, I propose that you glide into the "University of Suya" to get some special Suya combo offers with their added "unique yaji taste" which you'll NOT find from other wannabe Suya outlets. ONLY the London-based "Obalende Suya" comes close. The Northern Hausa guy has been operating on Allen Avenue since the 1980s till it got rebranded to it's current name of University of Suya and it has a huge clientele among the Middle Class to the Upper Class.

As for the "yaji," you ordered from Kaduna for your noodles, what's significantly special about it?

Last but not least, I took the time to scan through the thread pages here and without a shadow of doubt, a lot of posters here talking down on Northern cuisines have deep-rooted prejudices and more.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Powersurge: 4:21am On Sep 08, 2025
Obavoh:
Hausa food is highly medicinal. We do not pack meat or fish to enjoy our soup.

The highest you can add is dried fish and that is optional.

We prefer to eat meat separately eg Suya, kilishi , Dambu Nama etc

Masa&Miyan Taushe (pumpkin soup)= ₦500

Tuwo with Miyan Kuka and dried fish= ₦800
I served in the north. I love exploring cultures, because it opens up my mind to the beauty of the people.

Yes there are dark sides of many cultures. But once I am there,I try to enjoy the positive sides.

But I found it very difficult to eat northern meals. Because:
1. I was raised with proteins grin if meat/fish no set in different varieties, we go get problem. I went to a northern wedding, there was no meat on the rice. They use one plant wey person fit use as meat (forgotten the name). That was prudent. And really admiring. But Omoooooooooooooo. That kind food no go pass through my throat wey dem don use meat and fish spoil from small grin

2. Look And Feel: Professor Igene, one of my Professors in the university, a professor of nutrition (a global icon actually), made us understand that it is the eyes that eat food first before the taste buds. If your food doesn't have the right appeal to the eyes, no matter how sweet, most people will not get to taste it.

3. Ingredient: My experience in the north shows that northerners are sweet tooth. Even when I worked in FMCG as a data analyst, brands sell more Maggi in the north than any other places. Brands usually have northern strategies for such seasonings. Person fit use 8 cubes of maggi to boil ₦500 meat. Come use 12 cubes for the soup. This is not exaggeration. There's a type of rice been eaten in the north (I think they call it Garo Garo. Not sure again), it's basically white rice, oil and EXCESSIVE maggi sprinkled on top. The quality of the meals are not there yet.

4. The hygiene also is far fetched. Many northern vendors are not taking the hygiene side seriously.


That been said, I love avocado today because of my stay in the north. And I was always on Fura de Nunu. One fulani girl (black beautiful Fulani girl. I for marry that girl of no be fear. Imagine a Yoruba Christian boy go meermt a Fulfude Muslim man to marry jer daughter. Dem fit use me do siya grin), always bring me fura throughout my stay.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Justme556(m): 10:12am On Sep 08, 2025
Hmmmm
The pictures are not encouraging...well, one man's food, they say is someone's else poison.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by BluntCrazeMan: 10:19am On Sep 08, 2025
Obavoh:
I have entered the Calabar’s woman canteen to eat a few times. The food is good but I love the Hausa food also.

Eba & Soup= ₦1,200. ( I have forgotten the name of the soup, please remind me cheesy)

Stew Rice with meat & fish= ₦1800

Pounded yam & Egwusi = ₦2000

I noticed that to eat southern Food you need to add a lot of Protein like Meat fish or Chicken to enjoy it but it is not the same in the North
If you eat something and like it, you will definitely want to eat it again., and also tell other people that the food tastes good.

..

You cannot rule out the fact that these Southerners HAVE NEVER EVER TASTED the food in the other canteen..
They definitely might have tasted the food, but they didn't dare to repeat.

There are things you don't force on people.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by pipnator00(m): 8:52pm On Sep 08, 2025
Gerrard59:
I agree that their meals are healthy, but they are not filling. E no dey belly full person. But healthy and makes me trim? Yes.
True. They serve their food in very small portion.
I used to get embarrassing stare when I go to their buffet, heap rice as much as I can eat.
These days, I no send anybody. After all I'm gonna pay!
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by Gerrard59(m): 3:16am On Sep 09, 2025
pipnator00:
True. They serve their food in very small portion.
I used to get embarrassing stare when I go to their buffet, heap rice as much as I can eat.
These days, I no send anybody. After all I'm gonna pay!
On my part, I buy two portions.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by folake4u:
Konquest:
In terms of taste buds acclimatization, I can deduce that you've almost become a far Northerner already since you like some of these meat-based cuisines above. Indeed, the peppery mix (or yaji)🌶️ consisting of dry peppers, peanuts, ginger, and some other secret spices is impressive!.

If you ever find yourself in the Allen Avenue area of Ikeja, I propose that you glide into the "University of Suya" to get some special Suya combo offers with their added "unique yaji taste" which you'll NOT find from other wannabe Suya outlets. ONLY the London-based "Obalende Suya" comes close. The Northern Hausa guy has been operating on Allen Avenue since the 1980s till it got rebranded to it's current name of University of Suya and it has a huge clientele among the Middle Class to the Upper Class.

As for the "yaji," you ordered from Kaduna for your noodles, what's significantly special about it?

Last but not least, I took the time to scan through the thread pages here and without a shadow of doubt, a lot of posters here talking down on Northern cuisines have deep-rooted prejudices and more.
Yeah, yaji is very nice and I like meat-based cuisines.

Thank you, I'd check it out.

Well, there's this taste that yaji gives to noodles. The aroma and taste is divine.

Well, Nigeria have deep-rooted prejudices regarding cuisines especially for those whose eyes eat before their mouth.
Re: Why Is Northern Food Mostly Disliked??? by gerizzim: 1:52pm On Sep 10, 2025
LeeSmart:
@obavoh i once asked you if you have the intention of joining the Nigerian army or FRSC but i didn't get any response from you, well maybe you're okay with what you do. As for me i was only trying to help.

Now back to ur topic, it's really disheartening to see almost everyone condemning food from my region😢😢
baba Iink me up to frsc job or any oda wen make sense
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