If there’s one thing we love, it’s venturing out to discover the flavours and culinary traditions of other countries… and we’re just as keen to involve you in our ‘explorations’. Today, let’s see how to make a Yaji spice mix together that stays as true as possible to the Hausa tradition.

What is suya?

If you browse the internet, you’ll come across this term used to describe a particular spice mix. In reality, it’s the name of what is now one of the most popular street foods in West Africa, but which is actually an ancient dish belonging to the tradition of the Hausa people, who originate from northern Nigeria. What makes this dish of roasted beef so special is precisely the distinctive and flavourful blend of spices used in its preparation.

What spices are in the Yaji spice mix?

If you want to make this particular spice blend at home and try out the flavour, you will need: Kuli kuli (a traditional snack made from peanuts and spices that you can try making by following the recipe from Remremdfoodie

• Chilli pepper
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Parsokori (itself a mix of local spices, but in this case it is an optional ingredient)
• Kimba (Uda) (Selim pepper)
• Masoro (false cubeb pepper)
• Kanafuri (cloves) African/Jamaican nutmeg
• Gowe seeds (Kajiji – unfortunately not very easy to find)
• salt

For the yaji spice recipe, we referred to the version posted on YouTube on the Pot of Flavours channel. If you’d like to try making the traditional dish yourself, you can refer to the recipe available on theCooking with Claudie channel

As mentioned, unfortunately some of the spices called for in the original recipe are not easy to find, but you can try making a simplified version by using peanut flour (or chopped roasted peanuts) instead of Kuli Kuli, using nutmeg and adding cayenne pepper. A little trivia to finish with: Jaji Spice is also the name of an ethical brand that sells local spices sourced from farms run by women in Nigeria and Ghana, respecting rights, tradition and the environment.