Wait, Are Nigerian Dishes ‘Spicy’ or ‘Peppery’? Seriously Google?

Ever Wondered Where Nigerian Dishes Get Their ‘Spiciness’ From?

Look no further, the answer is pepper. Pepper is to most Nigerians what cheese is to the French. My Dad even puts pepper in his sandwich, go figure!

It is not until I left my country that I realized that what the Caucasian or Asian man considered as spicy was not what the typical Nigerian considered to be spicy.

Here’s a guide to Spices all over the world designed for your little food lovers.

Google says ‘spicy’ means flavored with or fragrant with spice and then lists ‘peppery’ as one of its synonyms. Dear whoever suggested that, ‘come to Nigeria, and eat peppery food and tell us if you still think they can be synonyms.’

Peppery is also rightly defined as strongly flavored with pepper, that I agree with.

All most all Nigerian foods are spicy (maggi, knorr, curry, thyme, ginger, garlic and many more could be used at once in one’s cooking) and most Nigerian foods can be peppery. Examples are pepper soup, ata dindin and suya.

But, which pepper exactly is peppery? Which pepper do most Nigerians use in their cooking?

What Many Westerners know as Pepper

Bell peppers

What most Nigerians know as Pepper

Chilli peppers such as habanero and scotch bonnet are what brings about the hotness, the tingling in Nigerian foods (I now get G.I issues from eating too much pepper, never used to be a problem).

Pepper in Nigerian foods is somewhat of an acquired taste. It is not every Nigerian who likes pepper. Some of us grew up in homes where pepper in every dish was normal and certain regions and ethnic groups are known for their love for pepper.

The Yorubas are an example of pepper loving ethnic group. A Yoruba adage says, ‘A…