Igwe and I are always having all kinds of conversation about everything. The other day, we were discussing Nigerian food. I love Nigerian food. I love cooking it, and I love eating it. But I don’t love taking it to work. Let me be more specific.
I don’t mind taking certain Nigerian foods to work, like almost any kind of rice (fried, jolof, white, etc), and I don’t mind taking foods like egg stew and/or spicy spinach mix. But I have never taken food like pounded yam and egusi soup or onugbu or okra, and this is coming from someone who loves her fufu-ish foods. My first and last meals when I went to Nigeria last year were pounded yam and egusi soup. Next time, I have to catch up on my akpu and every other fufu-ish food. Hook me up, Sweet Potatoes in Nigeria!
Anyway, I know that I’m not the only Nigerian who loves our food, so I don’t blame any Nigerian who takes our food to work. By the way, to be clear, I’m talking about people who live and work outside Nigeria, especially in the western countries like America. Like I was saying, I don’t take certain Nigerian foods to work because frankly, I think it’s polite not to. Wait, let me explain before you crucify me biko!
Our food – although very, very VERY tasty – can be pungent. When I cook at home, I enjoy the food, but I absolutely hate it when my house smells of any type of food. Full disclosure: I do have a thing with smells. I am very judgmental of people who come to work or church or wherever smelling like jolof rice. You know yourselves. I’ve carried babies – and handed them right back – because they smelled like stew. So yes, I know that I may not be approaching this Nigerian-food-at-work issue from an objective point.
If I had a Nigerian co-worker who brought all kinds of Naija food to work, I would not be offended, but that’s because I’m familiar with the food and the smell. What I would be sure to do is salivate over the food. But I just won’t and cannot do it (bring the food to work). I feel like it is unfair to subject people to the strong smell of our food when they are not used to it. I will not even take Chinese food to work. I just don’t like that kind of attention.
Look at it this way: I remember watching a show, maybe on the travel channel or on the National Geographic channel or something like that, and the host was in an Asian country – don’t remember which one – and he was eating all kinds of foods, including live animals like octopuses and some rat-looking things. I. Was. Disgusted. Because personally, I would rather have a meal that doesn’t crawl out of the plate. Now, if I were to walk into the work kitchen and find someone eating a live octopus, I would not be responsible for my actions.
I know what you’re thinking: but Vera, eating a live octopus at work is not the same thing as eating egusi soup. And you are right! It’s not the same thing. But when you’re new to the smell of our food, you don’t have time to decipher if it is the smaller evil or not. The point is that I love my Nigerian food, and I’d prefer that it is not disrespected at work.
If you live outside Nigeria, what kind of foods do you take to work?
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I like to eat eat in peace. I don’t like people asking me about my food. The only Nigerian food I bring is fried rice. I don’t even cook before I leave the house. I refuse to smell like stew and plaintain.
My dear, I like to eat in peace too oh! And lol at smelling like stew and plantain. You are definitely one of my people. Lol.
Lol very funny piece Vera, i totally agree with you……
Btw Okpa is a great food to take to work! Very easy to pack, not too messy, delicious and seldomly leaves behind any smell.
Have a blessed day beautiful Lady.
Oh, gosh, I LOVE okpa! I haven’t had okpa since I entered Yankee (17 years ago). I don’t even know how to make it. I need to find the recipe online. I gorra gorra! Lol. And thanks for reminding me of okpa
I’m with you on hating the smell of food on me, my clothes, my apartment…I have a thing with smells too lol. And yes, I would not take certain foods to work. I mean even taking jollof rice an d co bring enough attention as it is, how much more going the full length lol. And being someone who hates attention, I just “chew my chewing stick” in the privacy of my room abeg
Girlllllll! That food smell on your clothes especially just gets me. I can’t deal. I don’t know how people cook all dressed up and then step out of the house in the same clothes. Just be smelling like jollof rice up and down the place.
Same here Vera. I take all sorts of rice but things like moin-moin and fufu are a no-no. Or egusi with iru or ogiri LOL.
I don’t want anyone disrespecting my food abeg.
Did you say you can’t take chinese food to work? Hmmm, I guess I have been commiting some office faux pas be that.
Manny, lol, you don’t have to stop your Chinese food oh! I think my issue with it is also the attention it brings. Every time someone brings Chinese food to work, everyone knows.
I once took eba and okro soup… made with ogiri to work.
To say they almost fainted would be putting it nicely.
“They” will be ok.
I eat what I want when i want it.
Fufu. Just eww.
I hope I’m not the only guy commenting here. My lovely wife got me this Bento box that I use to pack food to work. So yes and yes. I take the soup and then make the garri with the microwave. Maybe it’s the 042 in me but I never really cared what colleagues say or think. But for the most part they are fine with me explaining my food.
OMG! I absolutely just had to leave a comment because this is my life. I HATE when the smell of food lingers. My family thinks I’m crazy the lengths I go to make sure my house doesn’t smell of food as soon as the food is done being cooked. I don’t like oyinbo food so I take the less smelly food for lunch, but my options remain severely limited so I still come back home to eat pounded yam and co for dinner so now fat won’t stop chasing me.