Nigerian foods are just as diverse and exciting as they come. However, there are certain popular foods among the lot, which are defined by their ready availability, taste or price, making them regular staple meals among everyday Nigerians.

As with most things, Nigerians are creative with food, coming up with different combinations which might sometimes come off as weird, but are quite tasty. Whether in the street corner, in the heat of traffic, or even in the comfort of a home, here are six tasty Nigerian food combos.

Roasted corn and coconut or pear (Ube)

Corn which is always available during the raining season is currently the most popular street snack. It is prepared either boiled or roasted, and when eaten with with either coconut or pear as is the tradition, it is a food match made in Heaven. Hardly you take a turn through a street today without seeing a corn shed. This combination is often sold in wraps of old newspapers at very affordable prices.

Roasted plantain (boli) and groundnut

This classic combo is genius! Roasted plantain eaten with groundnut or fish sauce, is quite tasty and nutritious. This combo only takes the backseat at times like this when corn is in season. It is also often sold in old newspaper wraps (this is the common method of packaging roadside delicacies – recycling it is.) and is quite affordable.

Bean cake (moi moi) and bread

Bean cake is a tasty deep fried delicacy of Nigerians that is  made from ground bean paste. While it can be enjoyed on its own, most people pair the proteinous ball with bread or soaked garri. This combo is mostly eaten as breakfast or dinner.

Soaked garri with groundnut or coconut

This is the holy grail of food combos in Nigeria. It is one meal that defies class or social strata. Rich or poor, every Nigerian loves their cassava flakes with groundnut or coconut. While some prefer the white (Ijebu) garri for this combo, other people, especially the south-southerners, prefer the yellow garri.  It is best served with a little bit of milk, sugar or salt, and most preferably cold water.

Pop corn (guguru) and groundnut

This is definitely one of the cheapest and tastiest street food combos in Nigeria. The pop corn is usually hawked in two varieties – salt or sugar, depending on the choice of the customer, and is commonly paired with groundnut. You can get pop corn for a low price of N50 and groundnut for just N20; it clearly doesn’t cost much to enjoy this unique combo.

Gala and Lacasera

If you ply the traffic laden streets of Lagos Nigeria, or any other busy Nigerian city during rush hour, you honestly cannot ignore the sight of these two inseparable combinations. ‘Gala’ which has become likened to all wrapped beef rolls, and the beverage La casera is often served ice cold. It often leaves one wondering whether or not there is a refrigerator somewhere in traffic. This combo comes to the rescue as a perfect hunger palliative before getting home, it is one of the top selling consumables in traffic.

Credit: venturesafrica.com