Atale Pupa, Uyayak, 8 other Nigerian Spices Going Into Extinction

Nigeria is blessed with different spices that are purely indigenous to add flavour and aroma to her foods. Unfortunately, most of these unique spices are going into extinction due to modernisation, deforestation, and dominance by foreign seasonings. ITORO OLADOKUN curated ten well-known Nigeria spices that are now difficult to get in the market, marking gradually depreciation and threatening extinction if not accessed:

1. Uyayak (Aidan Fruit)

Uyayak, also known as Aidan fruit, is used to flavour soups, pepper soups and stews in southeastern and south-south Nigeria. It has a peculiar smoky-sweet aroma and medicinal values, including anti-inflammatory and blood-cleansing properties. However, excessive deforestation threatens its availability, making it harder to find in urban markets.

2. Chimba (West African Black Pepper)

Chimba is a rare variety of black pepper that dominated local spice markets before the imported variety became dominant. Chimba adds serious, pungent heat to pepper soups, sauces, and meat dishes. Over-exploitation in the wild without much effort at cultivation is threatening chimba from becoming extinct in Nigerian kitchens.

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3. Oburunbebe Stick

Oburunbebe is a stick used in making the well-known Delta State’s banga soup, Groundnut soup and black soup. It gives banga soup that earthy, slightly bitter taste. This spice is derived from a tree that, through logging and expansion of agriculture, is becoming scarce. If not urgently conserved, succeeding generations may never get to taste this vital ingredient in most of our soups, thereby losing a valuable aspect of culture and heritage.

4. Eeru (African Nutmeg)

Eeru is commonly used by the Yorubas to spice pepper soups and native stews. It has a warm, nutty flavour similar to nutmeg but with a slightly stronger aroma. Over-reliance on foreign nutmeg and the difficulty in cultivating Eeru locally is contributing to its gradual disappearance.

5. Gbafilo (Aligator Pepper)

This aromatic and spicy seed was once paramount in herbal remedies and cultural rituals, while also being used to add flavour to soups and local drinks. Their viscosity is now becoming increasingly scarce through rapid urbanisation and exclusion from commercial farming.

6. Atale Pupa (Red Turmeric)

The red turmeric was a more vibrant cousin of the common turmeric that once grew in southwestern Nigeria. It has anti-inflammatory properties, lends colour and depth to soups and porridges, but due to a lack of awareness, it’s being substituted with imported turmeric and Curry, driving it to near extinction.

7. Ofor Seed

This thickener gives soups like Oha and Nsala their particular thickness. Being hand-processed conventionally, Ofor seed hardly holds up to modern alternatives used for thickening like corn starch and processed flour, which explains its fall from use.

8. Urheri (Negro Pepper)

Urheri is found in the Niger Delta and some parts of Igboland, and it contributes this smoky, somewhat bitter taste when preparing pepper soups and some herbal drinks. Poor cultivation practices and competition from foreign spices have made it hard to find in the local markets. In fact, when you mention the name, people will begin to ask what it is and its uses. This is a direct contrast to years ago when it was one of the major spices sold in local markets across Nigeria.

9. Epin (West African Bay Leaf)

This aromatic leaf, much like bay leaves but with a stronger smell, adds flavour to native stews and meat dishes. Abundant in the past in Nigeria, Epin trees have suffered from deforestation, driving the spice towards extinction.

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10. Kimba (Dawadawa Seeds)

Kimba is a type of fermented locust bean that is used in northern Nigeria to give soups and sauces a bold umami flavour. Younger generations are increasingly rejecting its pungent aroma in favour of artificial seasonings, such as bouillon cubes. It may disappear from Nigerian cuisine without sustainable farming and awareness.

Losing these spices is actually like losing much of our history, culture, and traditional medicine. Sustainable farming, making the younger generation aware, showcasing indigenous spices in modern cuisines to retain Nigeria’s culinary identity, these are the keys forward; it is the only way Nigerian culinary heritage will remain.