I know pitifully little about Nigerian food – I can count the times I’ve eaten it on the fingers of one hand – and, as it happened, was on the lookout for a guide on the subject. An act of glorious serendipity brought Chop Chop into my life: I happened to be reading (very enjoyably) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s recently published novel, Dream Count, and it led me a-googling to try to learn more about the country and, of course, I became increasingly interested in the food. With phone still in hand, I drifted over to BlueSky and at that moment saw an exuberant post by the eminent Canadian foodwriter Nancy Duguid announcing “This beautiful lively enticing book just landed, by the brilliant Ozoz Sokoh”. And brilliant she is indeed, a cultural historian, culinary anthropologist and foodwriter perfectly placed to teach me, and others like me, with a lot to learn about the country and its cuisine.
Of course, nothing can substitute for actually going to a country and eating extensively, but this book brings so much to life, urging deeper discovery and is, emphatically, a joy in its own right. It’s true that some ingredients are unfamiliar to many of us, but Sokoh explains textures, tastes and context clearly and also gives a helpful guide to possible substitutions where applicable, and I learnt hungrily about Nigerian Plantain Fritters (Mosa); Spring Rolls (brought to Nigeria by the Chinese who started arriving in the 1930s); Samosas (“Nigeria’s strong historical connections to India stretch back to the 1800s”); the Nigerian Pancakes known as “diet”; Moringa Salad (Kwadon Zogale); Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice; Nigerian Fried Rice (“Chinese fried rice meets Indian Pilau Masala”); Sesame Chicken (Kazan Ridi); Beef Suya; Classic Stew; Chicken Pepper Soup; Chin Chin (or Fried Dough Bits) and so much more. I’ve chosen a recipe that I felt would be a good starting point to share with you today and it’s for Kokoro, the Crunchy Corn Sticks that come from a chapter felicitously titled “Things to Keep the Mouth Moving”!
Excerpted from CHOP CHOP: Cooking the Food of Nigeria by Ozoz Sokoh, copyright ©2025 by Ozoz Sokoh, photos copyright ©2025 by James Ransom. Used with permission of Artisan Books, a division of Workman Publishing Co., Inc., a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
