5 Nigerian spices you should add to your cooking

Cooking can be quite interesting for some people and stressful for others. At some point, a lot of people find themselves in the kitchen trying to prepare their own meals or for others.

1) Habanero pepper

Habanero peppers come in different colors, the most popular being red and yellow. While lots of people are used to the red ones, very few use the yellow Habanero peppers. Also known as Ose Nsukka, the yellow Habanero pepper is incredibly aromatic with a hot and unique flavor that can totally transform the taste of your food.

Habanero peppers are also beneficial as they have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure. Some reports also say it is great for reducing weight gain and preventing cancer. 

2) Uda seed (Negro pepper)

The uda seed is commonly used for preparing pepper soup and it usually gives a smoky aroma. Uda seed is definitely one Nigerian spice that should be added to your cooking not only because of its rich taste, but also its health benefits.

This spice helps to stimulate appetite, reduce pain and helps boost breast milk supply for mothers. Other health benefits include, helping to fight rheumatism, toothaches and asthma.

3) Ehuru seed (African Nutmeg)

Ehuru is another spice popularly used in preparation of pepper soup, ukodo, ofada rice or Banga soup. This spice gives your meals a unique taste and it is also a great sex stimulant improving the libido in both men and women. Ehuru has also been shown to boost ovulation and help in weight loss.

4) Lemon Grass

Another Nigerian spice you should add to your cooking is lemon grass. This spice gives a pleasant aroma and taste to your meals. It can be used to transform your everyday chicken-based dish or pepper soup dish to become tastier.

Lemon grass has also been shown to help with gastrointestinal problems, fever, and the common cold. 

5) Locust beans

Also called iru or dawadawa, this Nigerian spice gives a bold flavor to your soups and stews. In addition to this, locust beans has numerous health benefits that range from decreasing blood sugar and blood fat levels to promoting good sight and relieving the symptoms of diarrhoea.