Nigerian

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Amala (Yam Flour Swallow)

The Yoruba staple of Nigeria: flour ground from dried yam (elubo), cooked by beating it into boiling water. The yam is dried so it will keep, and the drying is what turns its white flesh brown, so amala's colour belongs to the flour, not to the cooking. Stirred rather than pounded, it is soft rather than stretchy. Pinched off hot, dipped in soup and swallowed.

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Egusi Soup (Melon Seed Stew with Greens)

One of Nigeria's national dishes: a stew thickened with ground melon seeds. Ground walnuts, as in fesenjan, melt into a smooth sauce; egusi does the opposite. Its protein coagulates with heat, so instead of dissolving it sets into soft curds: drop it in as lumps, then leave it alone for ten minutes without stirring.

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Suya (Skewered Beef in a Dry Peanut and Chilli Rub)

Skewered beef from the Hausa north of Nigeria, seasoned with a dry powder rather than a liquid. The backbone of the powder, yaji, is kuli-kuli: peanut roasted and then pressed to take the oil out. Peanut with its oil in melts over the fire, runs off and causes flare-ups; pressed dry, it clings and toasts instead of burning.

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Jollof Rice

Rice cooked in a deeply reduced sauce of blended tomato, red pepper, and chili — West Africa's iconic one-pot rice. Spicy and smoky and stained red, it's the beloved party dish Nigeria and Ghana famously argue over.