# The best Nigerian dishes

Nigeria's most loved dishes, from party jollof to Hausa suya and the many 'swallows' with soup, according to Nigerian cuisine guides.

- 1361 votes · 13 items
- Nov 9, 2025 · Femi Bello
- https://even.best/en/l/396/the-best-nigerian-dishes

## Top 10

1. **Jollof rice** (140 · ▲149 ▼9) — Rice cooked in a tomato, pepper and spice base; the national dish and the subject of the 'jollof wars' with Ghana.
2. **Egusi soup** (123 · ▲134 ▼11) — Ground melon seed soup with leafy greens and meat or fish, eaten with a swallow.
3. **Suya** (109 · ▲117 ▼8) — Hausa beef skewers coated in spicy peanut yaji spice and grilled, sold at night.
4. **Pounded yam** (87 · ▲99 ▼12) — Boiled yam pounded smooth, the classic swallow for egusi or ogbono.
5. **Pepper soup** (79 · ▲100 ▼21) — Light, fiery broth with goat, catfish or chicken and local spices.
6. **Ogbono soup** (72 · ▲81 ▼9) — Draw soup thickened with wild mango seeds.
7. **Akara** (65 · ▲83 ▼18) — Deep-fried bean fritters, often eaten with pap for breakfast.
8. **Moi moi** (54 · ▲73 ▼19) — Steamed bean pudding with peppers, eggs or fish.
9. **Efo riro** (53 · ▲71 ▼18) — Yoruba spinach stew with peppers, meat and fish.
10. **Banga soup** (43 · ▲63 ▼20) — Palm nut soup from the Niger Delta.
11. **Puff-puff** (41 · ▲61 ▼20) — Sweet fried dough balls, the party snack.
12. **Fried plantain (dodo)** (38 · ▲65 ▼27) — Sweet ripe plantain fried, the side for jollof.
13. **Ofada rice with ayamase** (33 · ▲53 ▼20) — Local unpolished rice with green pepper 'designer stew'.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.