Yoruba cuisine is one of the great food traditions of West Africa: bold, peppery, comforting and built around soups and stews eaten with soft “swallows.” Whether you are visiting Nigeria, hosting a Yoruba traditional wedding or cooking for the diaspora family table, this guide to traditional Yoruba food will help you know what to order and why people love it.
Swallows and soups: the heart of Yoruba food
1. Amala with gbegiri and ewedu
Amala is a dark, smooth swallow made from yam flour or cassava flour. It is famously paired with ewedu (a slimy jute leaf soup) and gbegiri (a creamy bean soup), plus stew, which together are often called abula. It is a Yoruba favourite across Lagos and Ibadan.
2. Iyan (pounded yam)
Boiled yam is pounded until smooth, stretchy and white. Iyan is a celebration dish, served at weddings, naming ceremonies and festivals with egusi, efo riro or other soups.
3. Efo riro
A rich vegetable soup cooked with spinach-type leaves, peppers, palm oil, locust beans and assorted meat or fish. It goes with iyan, amala or any swallow.
4. Ila alasepo (okra soup)
A light, slippery okra soup that is a favourite with amala and other swallows.
5. Egusi soup
Ground melon seeds simmered with leafy greens, peppers and meat or fish. Egusi is enjoyed across Nigeria and is a staple at Yoruba gatherings.
Rice, beans and everyday favourites
6. Ofada rice with ayamase
Ofada is an aromatic local rice from southwestern Nigeria, traditionally served wrapped in leaves with ayamase (designer stew), a green pepper sauce with assorted meats.
7. Moin moin
A steamed pudding made from peeled, blended black-eyed beans, peppers and onions. It is often enriched with egg, fish or corned beef.
8. Akara
Deep-fried bean fritters eaten at breakfast, often with pap (ogi) or bread.
9. Ewa agoyin
Soft, mashed beans served with a spicy, dark pepper sauce, and often eaten with bread. It is a beloved street food in Lagos.
10. Jollof rice
Jollof is a West African party rice cooked in a tomato and pepper base. It is not exclusively Yoruba, but it takes centre stage at Yoruba owambe parties.
Yam, porridge and sweet treats
11. Asaro (yam porridge)
Yam cooked down in a spicy palm oil and tomato sauce until thick and comforting, a one-pot favourite.
12. Ikokore
A dish of grated water yam cooked with peppers, fish and palm oil, associated especially with Ijebu communities.
13. Dodo (fried plantain)
Ripe plantain fried until golden and caramelised, the perfect side for rice and beans.
14. Ogi (pap)
A fermented maize porridge served at breakfast, often with akara or moin moin.
15. Chin chin
Crunchy fried dough snacks that are a staple at parties and festive seasons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Yoruba food?
Amala with ewedu and gbegiri and iyan with egusi or efo riro are among the most iconic Yoruba meals.
What is a swallow?
A swallow is a soft dough, such as pounded yam or amala, rolled into small balls with the fingers, dipped in soup and swallowed rather than chewed at length.
Related reading: Yoruba Traditional Wedding Guide and Yoruba Naming Ceremony.
Image credits: Femoree and Keesha’s Kitchen on Unsplash.
