Slowly does it...

Western fast food (Niaja-style) is quickly finding its place in the bigger cities of Nigeria. Globalisation, you say, it’s the same everywhere. However, there are subtle differences. Fast food is not a guilty pleasure, but the preserve of the relatively wealthy; eating a fast food meal is eating out. And the food reflects this (as does the service, which is as haughty as the service in any expat /rich folks place like big supermarkets). But back to the food – fast food joints don’t usually serve anything as insubstantial as chips. They serve rice, spaghetti or yam. Nigerians are serious about their food. And I ate chicken nuggets last week that were made from actual chicken breast. I kid you not. The pizza in my local bakery is topped with vegetables that have just been chopped up in the kitchen. Turns out that Nigerian fast food/globalisation hasn’t learned the shortcuts yet. I can only pray that it takes them a long long time.
BTW, Nigeria has long had its own fast food in the form of ‘food is ready’. In any market or motorpark you will see the food is ready signs sitting outside little chop houses. Apart from the staple meals of pounded yam, egusi or jollof rice, you can buy a multitude of street food. Suya is bbq beef or chicken, coated in a crispy, spicy breading. It is heated in the bbq and then chopped into tiny pieces. It is served wrapped in newspaper with some wedges of onion, tomatoe and cabbage. You eat it using a tooth pick which is quite handy for afterwards! Kilishe is sun-dried meat that is rolled very thin and laid out in the sun until it is dry and crispy. Despite its appearance it doesn’t taste of leather; but apparently it lasts about as long. Another great snack is akara or kowsie which are mashed blackeyed beans, mixed with chilli powder and dried fried until crispy. All of this can be washed down with a slice of pineapple, mango, watermelon or pawpaw – whichever is in season. The truth is Nigeria has little need of Westernised fast food.