Amusing Naija Snacks

Unless one is born again, one cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Holy Bible further reveals that to be born again, one must be baptised by water and the Holy Spirit. This includes anointment in some Christian doctrines.

It may surprise you to know that for some typical Naija snacks to be consumed, they first must be baptised or anointed.

This afternoon, I witnessed an amazing incident where a young man performed the spiritual rite of anointing a snack before consumption at a roadside kiosk in my neighbourhood.

The young man who was obviously at work in a nearby construction site, tiredly walked to the kiosk in his ragged piece of dirty white shirt and brown colour three quarter trouser. He picked up a big loaf of bread, held it in his left hand, requested for a chilled bottle of coke, popped it open with his teeth, and said a short grace before meal before sipping a pint. He dragged out a stool from beneath a nearby table with the loaf of bread in his left hand and sat down.

Keeping the bottle of coke between his legs on the ground, the hungry young man without loosening the bread from the polythene bag held the big loaf of bread in both palms and halved it. He looked around and kept the piece in his right hand on a leaf beside the stool.

Turning his attention to the half in his left hand, he created a little opening in the middle of the bread with his thumbs while holding it with his nine fingers. He picked his bottle of coke and anointed it before biting off a hunk of the bread and munching on. He looked up, caught me smiling and murmured discreetly in a language I couldn’t comprehend while shaking his head and I replied; enjoy!

In Nigeria, depending on which part of the country, there are different types of snacks patronized especially by the lower class although a few persons of the high class strata also consume such having imbibed it while growing up from lower backgrounds.

If you are in the Northern part of the country, chilled Zobo or Kunu with Bons may just be the right therapy for cooling out after trekking or perhaps after lectures on a hot sunny afternoon.

At work in the South-South region of the country, cucumber and groundnuts could just do a good job helping you out with your work while you munch. Banana and groundnut can be an accepted substitute just in case you don’t enjoy cucumber or can’t find it around.

You can also have fun chewing biscuits and groundnuts while sipping on a bottle of coke. I tell you its so much fun especially if you’re cracking a crackers biscuit and freshly fried groundnuts well prepared with the right quantity of salt.

Bread and coconut could simply pass for a driver while on a journey. It does not obstruct driving. Just keep your loaf of bread and coconut on top of your dashboard. Pick one at the time and munch with either of your hands while looking straight ahead. A bottle of water will push it down, no sweat. Now you’re heading from Lagos to Sokoto and you will arrive in time.

I thought Guguru (locally prepared popcorn) was out of existence until I got to Akwa Ibom State. Is your pocket holed? Guguru and groundnuts is just the perfect snack to keep you on a balanced diet of 1-0-1.

Garri is the most popular. With Garri you have nothing to worry. Perfect snack: Good for people working in fields and construction sites. With high contents of carbohydrate, you are guaranteed enough energy to get back to work. Garri and milk or groundnuts are the widely accepted combinations. Recently I have been thinking of how Garri and milk or groundnut or even any other combination can be packaged in disposable cups and sold, so it can be consumed on the go. This, I think is an unexplored business idea. Imagine walking into MacDonald’s or Walmart and picking up a cup of Dangote Cflakes. Made in Naija for real.