New experiences

The travels to Dutse saw me encounter many new experiences they are as follows:

·         Travelling to the north of Nigeria – loved it, think I must have been northerner somewhere in a previous life given my love of the NE of England and now in Nigeria, it’s like a completely different country to the south.

Kola Nuts

·         Kola Nuts – not sure they are actually nuts but I’ll tell you one thing they are grim! Apparently they are like natural nicotine or something, won’t be trying them again.

·         Tiger Nuts – seeds not nuts, strange but quite nice like the name more than the taste though.

·         Cooking goat – didn’t do a bad job either, made a marinade on the Monday night whilst Lucy found and cleaned meaty bits from the vast bucket of goat we had left after Sallah day on Sunday and then cooked it on our last night. Tasty.

·         Boiled Cassava – tried it covered with ground up nuts and peppe it was yum, but sadly no nutritional value whatsoever in cassava, bummer.

Kosai

·         Kosai also known as Akara – Breakfast food of deep fried mashed up beans with peppe of course, thought I’d had these before but they were different somehow so they make the list maybe it’s the different name in the north.

·         Coconut based treat from the market – I can’t remember the name of this one but rather nice and highly addictive.

·         Seeing a durbar – enough said.

·         Guinea Fowl – Tastes like chicken.

·         Boiled Yam – Had fried yam but boiled yam is gooood especially in a tomato sauce

·         Pounding Yam – Pounded yam is served with soups and similar dishes and is used as both part of the meal and in lieu of cutlery, you have a big sticky ball of it and use your fingers to tear some off and then use it as a scoop to pick up the rest of your dinner. I’ve had pounded yam before but never had the chance to pound it myself. Apparently it’s women’s work because they don’t tire. I found it strangely enjoyable, maybe it was the novelty factor?

Pounding yam - it's not for men they tire too easily

I think I’ve remembered most things but no doubt there’s something I’ve missed, I really did seem to be saying I’ve never tried this/done this before for most of the four days we were there. It made me feel like I’m missing out on lots so my mission is to try and see as much as possible and within reason never say no!