Nigerians are very creative with food, that one is a given. It is why we have a lot of Nigerian soups and swallows to go with them. But then, when it comes to the choice of animals to garnish the food, Nigerians can be a little bit… well, this is a list of scary things Nigerians consume.
Snake
From what I hear, snake meat tastes just like fish. When I was in secondary school, a girl brought it as part of her food, cooked with rice and egusi soup. I won’t ever forget how some people had the guts to beg for it.
Tortoise
Apparently, this one tastes like chicken. No, I don’t know because I have not tasted it. But a man who did, shared his experience.
Palm weevil larvae
Oh, I have eaten this one. Tastes sweet, meaty even. It’s found in palm trees; after the palm wine has been extracted, you leave the trunk to rot so it can produce these worms. I remember my father tore the trunk in two to extract them. Then, he had them cleaned, washed, fried and stewed. The taste slaps.
Dog meat
Locally referred to as 404, dog meat is a delicacy in Akwa Ibom, Calabar and Ondo states.
Alligator
I’ve heard stories of alligator meat being sold and eaten, but I didn’t believe it until Ayo The Creator showed videos of himself dismantling a crocodile. I wonder how it tastes.
Toad
For indigenes of Kwara state, it is a delicacy they smoke, bind with rubber bands and hawk like stock fish. During my undergraduate years there, I saw a lot of people eat it. They even added it to vegetables.
Bush rat
This one is a given. It’s just scary to me, and highly unusual too. But who am I to dictate people’s tastes? I would have added a photo, but the ones I saw were too graphic.
Winged termites
I first read about people eating this in Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. But over the years, I’ve come to see that this is considered a snack in the eastern parts of Nigeria. The termites come out when it rains, after which Nigerians gather them and proceed to prepare them for eating.
Which of these things have you eaten before?
Here’s something else you should see: 10 Food Pictures That Will Make You Scared Of Nigerians
This one won’t traumatise you, I promise.
