Nigerian Wedding Dishes: How to Choose the Best Dishes for your Reception Party

Author:
femi
Updated date:
Jul 5, 2015

Nigerian wedding venue

Knowing what you plan serving your guests in conjunction with a good caterer is the line between success and failure. You should make a list of the usual delicacies common to Nigerian nuptials before engaging the caterer.

The list should not only have delicious dishes but a list of assorted drinks and small chops. Also, include a segment for the hall decorations, security, and entertainment.

Other important considerations are the cutlery, plates and cups for your guests. The caterer would require the number of guests you expect so they can adequately prepare for your guests.

Divide your menu list into four groups that should include local dishes, western dishes, small chops, and refreshments. Other delicacies like pepper soup, grilled fish, fried chicken, roasted chick served separately or introduced into the meals.

Planning a wedding party

Nigerian weddings are a spectacle to behold because of the beautiful attired guests, lots of food, drinks, and music. It applies to the three major geographical regions the northern, south /eastern and western regions.

After you have finalized the traditional requirements and taking your wedding vow, the next is the wedding party. You have to cater for a multitude of guests sometimes numbering over five hundred.

Planning any party requires knowledge of what you are doing especially wedding parties. A well-attended and lovely party would be a reference point for friends and family, however, a poorly planned one would attract negative comments and unhappy guests.

One very important aspect that you cannot overlook is the food, drinks and entertainment. A properly planned menu does not necessarily need to be over priced but tasty and enough for your guests.

When you plan a Nigerian wedding party the number of guest should be calculated with room for extras. Getting a close to accurate number makes planning the menu easier and more effective.

Food served at Nigerian Weddings

Pounded yam and egusi soup

List continued

4 Small chops

Samosa

Fish rolls

Small chunks of cake

Small Doughnuts/buns

Fried chicken nuggets

5 Drinks

Red wine/White wine

Canned drinks

Fruit juice

Ice cream

Cartons of Bottled water

Canned /Bottled Beer

Chapman drink and other exotic juices

Fish pepper soup

1 The traditional local dishes

Pounded yam and Egusi/Vegetable

Amala and Egusi/Vegetable

Semovita, Semolina

Yam portage

2 Western dishes

Jolof Rice

Fried rice

Local rice

Moi-moi

3 Meat

Fried Beef

Fried Fresh Fish

Fried Chicken

Roasted Chicken

Roasted/ smoked catfish

Roasted smoked Fresh fish

Catfish pepper soup

Easy Nigerian recipes

Grilled fish

Common local dishes served at Nigerian weddings are dishes that are swallowed like Amala a Yoruba dish made from yam flour, pounded yam a delicacy, and concentrate flour mix. Other foods eaten are wheat flour and semovita or semolina.

Stews like Egusi, assorted vegetable stew, or white stew accompany the local dishes. The stews are served with beef, fried fresh fish, catfish, or fried chicken.

Apart from the traditional food list, certain western dishes and local ones like Jolof rice (red rice), fried rice, Ofada rice (a small smelly rice variant) and yam portage.

The food is served together with drinks such as soft drinks, bottled water, and fruit juice.

Small chops

Samosa

Small Chops

No Nigerian wedding is complete without the opening menu we call small chops. Small chops are usually baked, fried, or steamed fast food. The snacks are usually small pieces of two to three fast food items like Samosa, Fish rolls, Doughnuts, Buns, Cake, Meat pies, and Fish pies.

Orange juice

Drinks

Drinks are an integral part of any wedding program and great care and attention is given to the list. The choices of wines are usually red wines but you can also include the white verity.

Each guest should at least have a bottle of water and a few cans or bottle of fruit juice assigned to each table. Other drinks depending on your religious beliefs and disposition to consider alcoholic beverages like beer, brandy even the local palm wine.

Types of drinks served at Nigerian wedding parties.

1 Bottled water for all the guests

2 Carbonated drinks, soft drinks like Fanta, Cola and Sprite

3 Wine verities such as white and red wine

4 Champaign for the toast ate the high table

5 Fruit juice, canned or bottled

6 Hard liquor like Brandy, Gin, Beer or Palm wine

7 Exotic juices like Chapman, mixed fruit drinks

Ice cream and cake

List of other delicacies

1 Catfish pepper soup

2 Grilled fresh fish

3 Grilled chicken

4 Ice cream

5 Assorted mixed fruit juice

6 Small pieces of the wedding cake

List of other delicacies

Some wedding receptions include other delicacies to spice up the list mentioned above. The delicacies might include catfish pepper soup, grilled fresh fish and chunks of smoked beef/chicken.

For guests that have sweet tooth they get ice cream, exotic fruit mixtures, and chocolate cakes. After the cutting of the wedding cake, a small piece is given to the guests.

The additional delicacies are served to guests after they have eaten the main course and towards the end of the party. The extra delights should not be excessive because only a few guests might have enough space in their stomachs.

It is not mandatory to add other delicacies especially if you are working with a shoe string budget

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Nigerian wedding dishes


Western dishes	Nigerian dishes	Small chops
Jolof Rice(Red rice)	local rice	Mini kabab
Fried rice	Amala(Yam flour)	fish rolls
Yam portage	Pounded yam	meat pies
Fried plantain	Semovita	Samosa
Vegetable salad	Semolina	fried chicken nuggets
Fried fish	Wheat flour	Prawn crackers
Fried beef	Moi-Moi	Spring rolls

1 Bottles of water on table

2 A few bottles of fruit juice and red wine

3 The guests served small chops

4 Soft drinks served

5 Delicious food is served according to their preference and availability

6 An interlude of music and entertainment

7 More drinks like exotic fruit juice, beer and non alcoholic wines

8 Other delicacies

On the guests table you provide a few bottles of red wine/white wine and fruit juice. Then each guest is giving a bottle of water just before serving the food.

When the guests are seated, the waiters give each a small saucer of small chops like Samosa, fish rolls, and a small piece of fried chicken. Depending on the guests preference they have a choice of either local dishes or continental dishes.

Nigerians refer to the time to eat as item 7 in reference to the reception program list. The entertainment could be a DJ or live band or a few sketches by comedians or friends and family.

The next on the menu are soft drinks and alcoholic beverages like beer and more wines. After a spell towards the end of the proceedings the guest are treated to other delicacies like pepper soup, grilled fish and ice creams.

A Nigerian wedding

Last Word

It is wise to engage the services of a professional caterer and go through the menu. Always have both continental and local dishes so your guests have a wider choice.

Make sure every guest has something to drink at least a bottle of soft drink/ water including a plate of food. If you expect one hundred guests, provide for one hundred and eighty guests or more.

Always work within your budget the bigger is not always better but precision planning works.

Look out for more wonderful wedding ideas soon bye.

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