₦airaland Forum

One thing about Nigerian homes, there were always food rules nobody officially explained but everybody somehow understood.

Like looking away when your host is bringing your food so you don't look like you came specifically to eat.

The youngest person washing every plate without anyone saying a word.

Never leaving food on your plate.

Never complaining about what was cooked, no matter what.

Refusing food as a visitor being treated like a personal offence.

And of course, when a full chicken is prepared, the gizzard goes to the father. No campaigning. No debate. It has always been his.

Some of us even grew up knowing certain drinks or foods were only for visitors or “special occasions.”

Looking back now, it’s funny how respect, hierarchy, patience and silent understanding was attached to a simple act like eating,in a Nigerian home

Honestly, many of us still carry some of those habits till today without realizing it.

Speaking of Nigerian food culture, if you're ever looking for affordable food spots that actually feels like home

unwritten food rule in your house growing up? Drop it here, let's gist.

Don't reject food,especially dinner because you MUST sleep hungry .

poshestmina:
Don't reject food,especially dinner because you MUST sleep hungry .

Reading this just brought memories of my childhood, and it's so funny. Good old days😊

Us kids had our favorite plates
I can still remember mine. If you dish my food with another plate, you don find my wahala be that

You must finish eating your carbs before "touching" your animal protein (egg,fish,meat or snail).

More than 4 decades on, I still find it hard to eat my protein until I cleared my carbs off my plate.

chicfarmer:
Us kids had our favorite plates
I can still remember mine. If you dish my food with another plate, you don find my wahala be that

Ah it's the first time hearing this o😂😂
Children can be really petty but that's what made childhood fun, isn't it?

LIVINGICONREBOR:
You must finish eating your carbs before "touching" your animal protein (egg,fish,meat or snail).
More than 4 decades on, I still find it hard to eat my protein until I cleared my carbs off my plate.

Wow I'm surprised that you were able to stick to it for so long. That's impressive.

We had this rule in my family too but I threw it out the window the moment I started living alone 😂

Your meat/fish or any protein available is your trophy. You only eat it after you must have done justice to the food. Funnily enough, even at 40 something years old now, I still maintain that rule together with my siblings. Chai. This life na wa o. Another is “no talking while eating”. If you do that, you go collect immediately from Old boy. The last one is that sometimes we all eat together in a tray to maintain family/sibling bond. Na when mumsi notice say lion sibling Dey wey get cooler and refrigerator for mouth when she serve hot food she change that rule come Dey give us our own portions . lol. My sisters prefer eating together when it is for food they don’t like so that my mum won’t be able to know how much they have eaten.

But if na their favourite food, you go hear “ Maale abeg put my own separate for plate, I NEVER READY “ lol.

Then last but not the least…. Sunday mornings na better pap with peak tin milk and better beans for morning we Dey chop, then rice and stew in the afternoon. TBH, you wouldn’t even know these children stay in a Face-me-I-Slap-you house in Ajegunle because we come fresh pass some Ajebo sef. Chai !


If na food department, my parents tried abeg. They made sure we don’t lack that and even till date, nothing person go chop wey go enter my eyes even if I don’t have the capability to get it. They showed us self-contentment. Enjoy while available and when it isn’t still understand it is only for a short while and things will get rosy again.


May God continue to bless all caring parents. Amen. For those that have lost theirs, may their souls continue to rest in peace. Amen

I love food very well, i dey chop

Always eat meat last

Drink Pap / custard with akara together

Sunday rice is a must in the afternoon until I put an end to it

Eat meat last.
Miss dinner and miss out

Aaaah ..... Every school day morning , our breakfast was Tea and bread.

Every Tuesday night to Friday night was soup and Garri/fufu.

Sat was anything my mom felt like to cook

Sun was rice!!

moimoi or akara on saturday mornings
na daddy dey chop largest portion of protein
there is daddy's plate
jollof rice, fired rice, salad, and chicken are sure on xmas day with drinks
u must eat meat last, otherwise the slap ur Nigerian mum will give will make u vomit everything u have eaten

Maybe during new season crops or vegetables
There is season for everything

Waste not, want not.
No matter how much is served, just do not return it to the kitchen.

Keeping mute or quiet while chewing food was a rule that never needed to be spoken out loud in my home growing up.

I'm still constantly amazed that even grown ass people with more than a basic education still need to be reminded of such a basic dining etiquette.

It's practically common sense... Not to mention reducing choking hazards.

Don't eat with left hand... Finish food before u eat meat...

Everyone eats what is prepared.

Eat on pot, wash it

Do no pour spit while eating

Last to finish washes the plate

Hiccup is forbidden!
Do not touch the meat unless you finished your meal.
Egg is for the last born only.

LocalBuka:
Wow I'm surprised that you were able to stick to it for so long. That's impressive.

We had this rule in my family too but I threw it out the window the moment I started living alone 😂

It still amazes me how my father hand was able to land me a knock from the far end of the dinning table just because I took a bite of my meat when I have not finished my eba.

Swallow at Night
Mostly eba...

If no be you cook, you have NO RIGHT to go dish food o... You must take permission from mummy or ask the person wey cook to dish food for you. If mummy is tired, you'll hear "Go and tell XYZ (the person that cooked) to out food for you na"... Even if na plantain/fish/meat/akara them dey fry, you no fit take those tiny pieces without asking permission from the person/those in the kitchen... You want to do tasting? Better join them in the kitchen for the cooking

Secondly, if there's excess Eba, the person that prepared it will have to finish it all once everyone says they don't want to eat "yesterday's Eba" again... So if you're the one making Eba, you better make small quantity that'll finish... It's better someone isn't okay and goes to make another Eba by themselves than for excess Eba to be on your head; you go chop eba tire

Funny enough, at this age, we all still abide by the first rule even when we visit ourselves or go home for holiday

Always chop your meat last after eating your food

LIVINGICONREBOR:
You must finish eating your carbs before "touching" your animal protein (egg,fish,meat or snail).

More than 4 decades on, I still find it hard to eat my protein until I cleared my carbs off my plate.

Hahaha, same here o. Imagine I will buy food with two or three meats on top, before eating one I must first finish the food

DeltaBachelor:
Your meat/fish or any protein available is your trophy. You only eat it after you must have done justice to the food. Funnily enough, even at 40 something years old now, I still maintain that rule together with my siblings. Chai. This life na wa o. Another is “no talking while eating”. If you do that, you go collect immediately from Old boy. The last one is that sometimes we all eat together in a tray to maintain family/sibling bond. Na when mumsi notice say lion sibling Dey wey get cooler and refrigerator for mouth when she serve hot food she change that rule come Dey give us our own portions . lol. My sisters prefer eating together when it is for food they don’t like so that my mum won’t be able to know how much they have eaten.

But if na their favourite food, you go hear “ Maale abeg put my own separate for plate, I NEVER READY “ lol.

Then last but not the least…. Sunday mornings na better pap with peak tin milk and better beans for morning we Dey chop, then rice and stew in the afternoon. TBH, you wouldn’t even know these children stay in a Face-me-I-Slap-you house in Ajegunle because we come fresh pass some Ajebo sef. Chai !


If na food department, my parents tried abeg. They made sure we don’t lack that and even till date, nothing person go chop wey go enter my eyes even if I don’t have the capability to get it. They showed us self-contentment. Enjoy while available and when it isn’t still understand it is only for a short while and things will get rosy again.


May God continue to bless all caring parents. Amen. For those that have lost theirs, may their souls continue to rest in peace. Amen

Amen o! Same with my mumsie. The last thing she will do is punish you with food. And she hates you wasting food

Pray before you eat. Be thankful after you eat.

Home food is better than outside food.

Do not eat food from strangers.

Food ate together is sweeter.

Don't leave your food open.

Never leave your food unattended.

Don't cough, sneeze or talk over food while cooking or eating.

Don't talk while eating.

Have water beside you for safety.

If you don't finish your food, always cover it.

Always wash your hand before eating.

Wash the plates and clean the sink before the next person.

Always wash the plates before serving. Rats, cockroaches or anything could have touched it.

Don't use the same plate/utensils for the house for guests.

Eat meat/chicken/turkey/fish last.

Never serve food behind guests. Always do it in front of them or let them serve themselves.

Do not hold the cup for drinking from the top where the mouth will touch.

Eat the same food with your guests.

Only serve what you can finish. Never waste food. No matter how oyinbo wan teach us say na dining etiquette to leave some food behind after a meal, my can cannot. I would rather take what I can finish than leave some behind as signature leftover. I love my Africans for this.

As a man, don't serve the food without the woman's permission. That kitchen is her territory, don't just go dip your hand in the pot and serve yourself like that. Women are sensitive to those things.

When I saw how they wash plates at Buka, I almost vomited because they manage water and soap to your own detriment

Short story, one day one man came to our house and was served with glass cup of water. We washed that cup more than 4x. It was that day I knew that if you wash glass cup clean, water will drain smooth. If it is not clean, you will see pothole on the cup

The gizzard/thigh on the chicken, was only for adults...... 🐔😂🍗😋

Those days the rule was that you must finish your plate of food...no remainder.How boring and frustrating it was to continue eating when you are already satisfied.

But when Buhari landed.., rule don change to "you better remain that food"

* You must bless your food before eating; otherwise, you and mummy go put leg for one trouser be dat.


* Any chicken legs or eggs found inside a live chicken belong to the last-born child in the family. Na dat one my kid sister take dey do shakara for us before the main meal arrive.😢

* Once dad finish eating, the last born automatically becomes the "heir" to the dining table. She decides what happens to any pieces of meat or fish he leaves behind.....(My sister go just spread for chair)


* Don’t touch your meat or fish until you’ve finished your food; only adults are qualified to do that. You’re expected to save the best for last.


* If a neighbour brings food, you must not eat it until mum gives her approval. Even if she isn’t at home, you have to wait until she returns. Sometimes you won’t even know what kind of food it is, because you won’t have the courage to open it ---you’ll just imagine mum looking at you with bombastic side eyes and with water cane in her hand.



Etc

Growing up, every afternoon was swallow be it eba or Amala or occasionally lafun or tuwo, we can't escape swallow every afternoon. I will never forget the day my mum broke the norm and decided to prepare that new dish we've been seeing it's advert on tv and we've been begging to taste- indomie noodles! I can never forget the first indomie I tasted back then in the early/mid 90s. It was like the food should never finish . Afterwards we went back to our afternoon swallow