8 Nigerian foods you keep confusing with each other

Nigerian food comes with plenty of dishes that can leave you wondering if there is really a difference between them. Put Nkwobi and Isi ewu next to each other, for instance, and it is easy to see why someone might assume they are simply different versions of the same thing. The same goes for Miyan kuka and Miyan taushe, or some of the other dishes that share similar ingredients, appearances or methods of preparation.

But looking or sounding alike does not always mean tasting alike, and similar ingredients do not necessarily make two dishes the same. From differences in preparation and texture to how and where they are traditionally served, these foods each have their own identity.

Here are 9 Nigerian foods that are often confused with each other and what actually sets them apart.

Miyan kuka vs Miyan taushe

Both are northern soups usually served with tuwo. Miyan kuka is made from dried, powdered baobab leaf, giving it a distinct sour edge and dark green colour. Miyan taushe is made from pumpkin and groundnut, sometimes with dried fish, giving it a sweeter, nuttier taste and an orange tinge. They are often eaten at the same table and can look alike in a bowl, but the base ingredient and flavour are different.

Cucumber vs Courgette

Cucumber is eaten raw, in salads or juiced, and belongs to the gourd family, related to melons. Courgette, also known as zucchini, is a summer squash, usually cooked, sautéed or grilled, and rarely eaten raw. The two are shaped similarly and often mistaken for each other in Nigerian markets, especially since courgette is less common and sometimes mislabeled as cucumber.

Masa vs Mosa

Masa is a fermented rice cake from northern Nigeria. Rice is soaked, blended and left to ferment, then cooked in a moulded pan until it puffs up and browns lightly. Mosa is a fried plantain fritter from the southwest, made with mashed ripe plantain, flour and sugar, deep fried until golden. The names sound alike and both are round, fried street snacks, but one is rice based and savoury leaning, the other plantain based and sweet.

Nkwobi vs Isi ewu

Both are Igbo delicacies built around cow or goat parts in a thick palm oil and potash sauce, and both show up at the same parties. Nkwobi uses cow foot, cooked until soft and coated in the spiced sauce. Isi ewu uses goat head, cut into pieces and prepared the same way. The preparation and flavour overlap heavily, but the animal and cut are different.

Ugba vs Ukpaka

These are two names for the same ingredient: fermented oil bean seed, sliced thin and used in dishes like abacha (African salad) or eaten on its own with pepper and onion. Ugba is the more common name in the south, Ukpaka is used more in parts of the southeast. Some cooks treat them as different foods, but they are the same thing under different regional names.

Tuwo shinkafa vs Tuwo masara

Both are swallow style dishes from the north, eaten with soups like miyan kuka or miyan taushe. Tuwo shinkafa is made from rice, cooked down and mashed until smooth. Tuwo masara is made from corn flour, worked into the same smooth, stretchable consistency. Same name, same eating style, different grain entirely.

Kunu Aya vs Kunu Zaki

Both fall under the broad kunu family of northern drinks, but the base ingredient is different. Kunu aya is made from tigernuts, soaked and blended, sometimes with dates and coconut, and drunk without fermenting. Kunu zaki is made from millet or sorghum, soaked, sprouted and blended, then left to ferment slightly before being sweetened.

Fura da Nono vs Kunu

Fura da nono pairs two separate things: fura, small balls of cooked, pounded millet dough, served crumbled or whole inside nono, a fermented, slightly sour milk. Kunu is a drink on its own, made from grain and drunk straight, without the milk or the millet balls. Both are northern staples sold by the same vendors, often side by side, but fura da nono is a food and drink combination while kunu is a standalone drink.

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