|
-
-
It was a sunny Saturday on November 11, 2023. The premises of La Madison Place, Lagos, was buzzing with meat and party lovers who came together to experience the first ever Burning Ram by Zikoko.
In case you missed it, or you knew about it and thought it was all hype — people hyped it because they trust Zikoko to deliver — everyone had fun. We didn’t want to go home. Just ask DJ Kiss, who played for us.
These are the things you missed and how to fix up in 2024.
Games
People got into ludo, chess, jenga, table football, mini basketball and more.
Meat
The vendor stands had people enjoy suya and barbeque of all kinds, asun meat pie (and burger), nkwobi, small chops and a whole range of cocktails. The atmosphere was all delicious meat aroma and smoke.
Movie time
While people took pictures and made videos, patronised vendors and ate good food, others sat in a chilled tent and watched Avatar: The Way of Water, courtesy of FilmHouse Cinema and FilmOne Nigeria.
Networking
We made friends, exchanged compliments, contacts and IG handles, and could finally put faces to some of our online friends and internet neighbours. We met popular jingos like Joey Akan, Fu’ad Lawal, Emeneks, Dammy B, Hauwa L, Dwin the Stoic, Renike, Chigozie and many more.
Ramsey the Ram
It was a golden moment when Adeyinka paraded Ramsey, Burning Ram’s prized ram, as Blossom and Dammy (AKA the Dorime Sisters) followed, raising Jack Daniel’s bottles in the air.
The raffle draw
It wasn’t a play-play thing when we announced that one lucky guest will win a live ram. The big grill drum of raffle tickets was spun, and Chioma Katherine won our Ramsey. Imagine the joy of coming to Burning Ram and returning home with a ram. It’s equivalent to J Hus’ “came in a black Benz, left in a white one” lyrics.
Fire breathers
You might’ve seen fire dancers many times or even been one yourself, but have you seen fire dancers perform while tossing and spinning actual fire? These guys at Burning Ram danced all the legwork known and unknown while spitting flames out of their mouths. It was like Daenerys was in one corner whispering, “dracarys”.
Eating competition
When it was time to see who really brought an appetite to Burning Ram, fine guys and babes nominated themselves. With bowls of jollof rice and plenty meat before them, and a large, vocal audience around, they sat and devoured their plates. Others ate hot chicken wings while singing the Nigerian national anthem. Winners emerged and received stuffed bags of Burning Ram souvenirs.
A rave
DJ Kiss’ set buzzed loudly and N.A.T.E (Nathan Good luck) hyped us into party mode with a mix of afrobeats hits, classics like Konko Below and American pop that took us back to our younger years. We moved our bodies, jumped, screamed out lyrics and had maximum fun.
How to not miss a Zikoko event
Be our friend
Zikoko is alive on all social media platforms. Follow us and click the notification buttons to get all the updates. Subscribe to our newsletter, join our WhatsApp community, just be our best friends, and you’ll be first to know about our events as they roll out.
Get your tickets ASAP
Secure your ticket before people rush it. You know how the saying goes; you snooze, you lose.
Image Source: Prince Mazani Leave home on time
You’ve followed us, gotten the gist about our next event and your tickets as soon as they drop, don’t wait till it’s ten minutes to party time before you leave the house on the day of the event. Well, except you like attending parties when they’re over or you’ve missed the major activities.
Burning Ram is over, but this meaty playlist can still keep you going this week:
-
Snake, goat, chicken, it wont matter once you’re at THE meat festival of the year, so get your tickets now.
-
Can any self-respecting food lover really give themselves the “foodie” title if they haven’t done some form of culinary excursion? I mean, it’s not only about being able to differentiate between pounded and poundo yam.
That’s where we come in. By the time you experience these food festivals, you’ll be more than deserving of your “food lover” ID card.
Bole Festival
Whether you spell it as “bole” or “boli”, this should be the first stop on your food tour. You’d be surprised by the different bole recipes available. Warning: You may never eat it with groundnuts again.
Image: Bole Festival on X
Burning Ram
If you think about it, meat may be every food lover’s origin story. Almost all of us passed through a stealing-meat-from-the-pot phase — don’t even deny it. Burning Ram celebrates the Nigerian culture of meat and grill, and the best part? As of the date of publishing, you can still be a part of the 2023 edition.
New Yam Festival
Yam is the Nigerian staple, not jollof rice. How else do you explain how almost every state and tribe in the country has their own version of a New Yam Festival? For the Igbos, it’s typically celebrated after the rainy season in August, and referred to as “Iwa ji” or “Iri ji”. For the Yorubas, especially in Ekiti, it is termed “Odun Ijesu”. Irrespective of what tribe you celebrate with, you’re sure to find yam delicacies of all types, music, dance and masquerade displays at a New Yam Festival.
Image: The Guardian Nigeria
West Africa Food Festival
This festival is proof you don’t have to japa to expand your tastebuds. As the name implies, this festival involves celebrating the dishes and culinary culture of West African countries. The annual festival is typically held in the countries along West Africa, and 2022’s edition was in Lagos. It features food, competitions and wine tastings.
Image: Flickr
Lagos Seafood Festival
You might think you like seafood, but have you really had everything the sea has to offer if you haven’t eaten stuff like octopus or human-sized fish? The annual festival was rebranded to “Lagos Food Festival” in 2022, but you’re still sure to find interesting sea creatures when you attend.
Argungu Festival
The cultural festival has increasingly become associated with food, as it involves a fishing competition to catch the biggest fish. It happens in Kebbi over a four-day period every year and features agricultural showcases, musical performances as well as wrestling and swimming competitions.
The winner of the 2020 fishing competition was awarded ₦10m, two cars and two seats to Hajj. Excuse me while I go learn how to fish.
Image: The Nation
Calabar Carnival
Termed “Africa’s biggest street party”, the carnival celebrates the Cross River culture, but the cuisine is a huge part of it. It’s an annual four-day event that features a food festival of its own, with rich Efik cuisine, grills and drinks.
Image: The Whistler
Jos Food Festival
If you’ve ever entertained curiosity about what food on the Plateau tastes like, you might want to add the Jos Food Festival to your itinerary. It features indigenous food displays and local musical performances.
Image: Sunday Alamba
PS: You can’t have read up to this point without signing up for Burning Ram. Do it now.
NEXT READ: Like Boli, These Nigerian Meals Deserve Their Own Festivals
[ad][/ad]
-
For a meal that’s a simple mixture of butter, flour, yeast and sugar, bread is the GOATed delicacy — yes, delicacy — man has ever made.
Nothing comes close to bread. You can make it on a stove or in an oven, it comes in different shapes and sizes, and you can pair it with literally anything and it’ll slap harder than a giveaway in this agbado era.
Egusi
Image sourced from foodrythms People might look at you sideways as you carefully spread your egusi on a thick slice of bread, but that shouldn’t concern you. They’ll never understand the greatness of such a pairing.
Beans of any kind
Image sourced from guardian.ng Do you know how bad you have to be to go into a family and marry all the members? The only person that comes close was Esau’s brother, Jacob, and we all know how much God loved him. Give it akara, ewa aganyin, palm oil beans, vegetable oil beans, and if you’re a real risk taker, gbegiri.
Stew
Image sourced from mydiasporakitchen If you can eat swallow and soup, then you can eat bread and stew. Make sure there’s an excess amount of protein in your stew, fold that bread, and eat to your heart’s content.
Banana
Image sourced from medicalnewstoday If you can eat banana bread, then you can slice a banana, place it between two slices of bread, and eat.
Pepsi
Image sourced from nextcashandcarry Notice how we singled Pepsi out from its counterparts? Bread and all the other sodas are great, but bread and Pepsi? Your inner bricklayer will awaken, and you’ll feel like you can move mountains.
Avocado
Image sourced from jessicagavin Even though avocados look the way they do, we believe in the power of bread to make anything taste better than rice on a Sunday.
Amala
Image sourced from africanfoodnetwork We need you to have an open mind. People have attested to the greatness of this pairing. Plus, amala looks like chocolate.
Indomie
Image sourced from breakthespice If you plan on pairing cooked Indomie with bread then you have stand in front of the stove, take the indomie straight from the pot to the bread and into your mouth. It’ll slap so hard you’ll give testimonies for weeks to come.
Ice cream
Image sourced from swasthi’srecipes Think of it like bread and tea. Tear large chunks of bread into your bowl of ice cream, wait for it to steep, and then, scoop into your mouth.
Egg
Image sourced from bakerpedia One thing about bread, it’ll find other versatile foods and pair up with them. Bread and egg bangs, especially on a Saturday morning with a hot cup of tea to wash it down. And guess what. It can sleep with the mother too *wink.
AnointingOlive oilWe told you bread was for everyone — even the godly among us. Drizzle a light amount on your bread, let it soak in for a bit and eat. It’ll taste like a symphony in your mouth.
-
Food pairing events are known for three things: Free food, great drinks and good vibes. So, when the Singleton Tribe stormed Abuja over the weekend, we knew we’d learn a few tips and tricks on how to properly faaji with friends.
Good food
In this age of FaceTime and video calls, rest assured people are not getting dressed and leaving home just to look at your face. The food must be surplus, and every bite must slap.
Baffs
Speaking of, drip is a lifelong commitment for some of us. Yes, the invite says casual but in a time when fuel is gold, if I’m showing up, I’m showing OUT, thank you very much.
A bonding activity
Think of creative ways to set the tone for a chill and casual occasion. It could be conversational card games or a planting session, if you’re bougie like that. Your guests will probably be more than happy to become plant mums and dads together.
More food because who no like better thing?
If you’re feeling a little playful, you can blindfold your guests for that element of mystery. Mysterious boys and girlies, take note.
The booze that brings everyone together
What’s a good turn-up without The Singleton? Abuja was a vibe on Sunday, July 23rd when the capital city’s hottest creatives got to unwind and bond over good food, music and games with The Singleton.
Want to be a part of the next Singleton Tribe experience? Follow @thesingletonngr on Instagram and look out for the latest updates.
-
The ones who just came to eat
They heard “Jollof” and just knew they had to be there. If food runs out at the festival, they’re most likely behind it.
The ones that came to look for love
It’s true when they say the way to some people’s hearts is through their stomach. They came for the food, but they also came to find someone who likes food just as much as they do.
Jollof historians
You’re just there to eat and have a good time, but these people want to explain the story of how Jollof was first created in Senegal in the 14th century. Their stories are nice but these people will distract you. Focus on the food.
Content creators
Even though no one should ever miss a Jollof festival for anything, it happens sometimes. That’s where the content creators come in. They’ll film everything for those who missed out.
Owambe gatecrashers
These guys will mistake the festival for an owambe and show up. But at least they’ll bring the owambe energy with them.
The cooks
These ones will swear they can cook Jollof rice that’ll make you emotional. They might not be wrong sha, especially if they use great seasoning like Knorr.
The Knorr itself
What’s a good plate of Jollof without the best seasoning? Knorr knows this, so they’re hosting the Knorr Jollof Fest to celebrate food culture. Knorr is encouraging people to Eat for Good by incorporating more healthy options like veggies into their foods, so come ready to eat. There’ll be lots of food from different chefs, lots of games, and a lot of fun to be had. If you know you like food, you definitely want to be there.
It’s happening on July 23, 2023, at Muri Okunola Park, Lagos. To register for the event, just visit the Jollof Fest website, and make sure you show up.
-
Talk True is a Zikoko limited series for medical myth-busting. With each episode, we’ll talk to medical professionals about commonly misunderstood health issues to get the actual facts.
If you grew up in a Nigerian home, you know it’s a given that Saturdays are reserved for beans or beans-derived meals. And if you didn’t like beans, you were likely encouraged to eat it or prepare to be short. Beans have been so associated with height that almost every tall person can relate to being presented with the “Do you like beans?” question at least once in their lifetime.
But how did our parents and grannies start championing the “beans for height” theory in the first place? Is it a claim based on facts, or yet another ploy to force us to eat the food at home? Ayooluwa Okunjolu, a nutritionist, provides answers.
Why’s the “beans for height” theory even a thing?
“Beans are a great source of plant-based protein, and protein is an essential nutrient for growth and development — which we assumed means “height” — but few people actually know that beans isn’t all protein. It’s a great protein source, but that’s not all it is,” Ayooluwa says.
While beans contain 21-25% protein by weight — much higher than other plant-based protein sources — it contains about 65-72% complex carbohydrates by weight as well. Meaning it’s technically more carbs than protein. So, using beans alone as the primary source of protein in your diet won’t exactly provide all the growth and development your body needs.
Nigerian mothers right now
So, does eating beans actually make you tall?
“If it were true, I’d definitely be six feet tall, because my mum made sure I ate a lot of beans growing up,” Ayooluwa notes.
It just doesn’t work that way
He explains further.
“Growth and development are more of a cellular thing: organ development, tissue building and repair, cognitive development, etc.
Protein-rich food like beans supports growth and development, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to increase in height. Genetic factors account for approximately 60-80% of a person’s height, while environmental factors — like diet, exercise and lifestyle — contribute only 20-40%.
Your diet can impact whether you reach your maximum height potential, but it can’t alter the genetic potential for height. So, I’m sorry, but if your parents aren’t tall, it’s unlikely you’ll be tall regardless of the amount of beans you eat.”
Eating beans doesn’t equal to height, dear
Should you stop eating beans, then?
Definitely not. Beans contribute to healthy iron and Vitamin B intake, which prevents anaemia that could result in delayed growth in children. Some sources also say it’s great for brain power. As Ayooluwa explains, improper nutrition will also lead to an individual not reaching their full height potential.
“Beans are a very important part of our diet. It’s really nutritious, and when taken together with other healthy foods in a balanced diet, the body grows as it should.”
What kind of food can make you tall?
A balanced approach to nutrients is key. If your genetic blueprint doesn’t have “six feet” levels of height, there’s almost nothing food can do. But nutrition can help, and Ayooluwa explains that it’s an all-hands-on-deck approach.
“There’s no special food that’ll make you taller, but balancing all the nutrients is essential for growth and development. Nutrients like carbs, healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals are all equally important.”
Is there still hope for short people?
Not exactly. There’s hardly any physical change (read as height) that can happen once you’ve crossed puberty. This is because your bones stop growing and essentially fuse together.
“We stop growing around age 20, so eating healthy shouldn’t be for the purpose of getting taller at that age. Growth starts from infancy. Once there’s malnourishment and stunted development from an early age, it’s difficult to change in adulthood. So, doing the right thing from the beginning is essential. It doesn’t mean adults shouldn’t eat healthily, though. Remember, there’s still cellular growth and development going on — tissue repair and muscle building, for instance.”
The takeaway
Beans are a great source of protein, but it’s not the only factor involved in height. Ensuring a well-balanced diet from childhood will help you reach your full growth potential. But height is largely genetics. So, if it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey.
NEXT READ: Talk True: Does Cranberry Juice Cure UTIs?
-
Nigerians are not smiling at the moment, and it’s for good reason. Fuel scarcity, sudden subsidy removal, exchange rate palava and inflated foodstuff prices — we’re going through a lot.
But again, things aren’t that bad. You can still go to the foodstuff market with ₦1k. We can’t promise you’ll get the things you need, but you surely won’t return home empty-handed.
Locust beans
Source: FarmhouzNG
Did you know this is a great alternative to seasoning powder? Ask your granny. She’ll share the secret.
Limestone
Source: Afrilege
Don’t you need to soften your ewedu leaves? It’s cheap, and remember the point is to not go home empty-handed.
Kpomo
Source: 9jafoodie
Forget turkey and beef, word on the street is kpomo is king. Your pot of soup might smell funky, but it’ll be loaded with “proteinous” pieces.
Salt
Source: allrecipes
Salt is life, so it makes perfect sense that it’s cheap.
Potato
Source: Mile12mart
Sweet potato is ridiculously cheap.
Curry and thyme
Source: Jumia Nigeria
Bring the neighbours to the yard with your cooking. The food might be bleh, but the aroma will do what you need it to do.
Vegetable
Source: Guardian
Ewedu, ugwu, waterleaf. Maybe this is the motivation you need to start your home garden.
Garri
Source: HTC Plus
Garri stays the most loyal grain in Nigeria — a paint bucket is still about ₦1k. We should give this king his flowers.
Spatula (AKA omorogun)
Source: Mychopchop
At this point, ₦1k is showing off because how dare you afford a kitchen utensil.
Polybag
Source: Nairaland
Because how else will you carry your groceries home?
-
It cannot be a coincidence that Jagaban assumed office as our president around the same time corn is in season. We know how much President Tinubu loves corn, so as good citizens, it’s only right that we indulge our leader’s cravings.
You don’t have to love roasted or boiled corn; learn these new recipes and you might bag a gig as Aso Rock’s head chef.
Stir fry corn
Source: Jone & Jules
Fried rice and pasta were found dead in a ditch. This is also significantly pocket friendly.
Baby corn pepper soup
Source: Vaya
If you can’t afford to buy turkey right now, we have the perfect alternative: baby corn. All you have to do is close your eyes and imagine that you’re eating turkey.
Corn salad
Source: Delight
Have you seen the price of cabbage and salad cream lately? Exactly. You won’t need to spend that much while making corn salad.
Corn juice
Source: Shanghai Daily
Haters will call it ogi or kunu but don’t mind them. Just make sure you serve it chilled and with lots of sugar.
Candied corn
Source: The Food Network
You can either go for sweet or savoury. This can replace small chops at your next owambe.
Barbecued baby corn
Source: Food Network
A serving of grilled turkey/chicken wings is about N1700 at the moment. If you can afford it in this economy, we’re adding you to our eat the rich list. You’ll be saving a whopping N1200 if you opt for grilled baby corn. Haters will call it roasted corn.
Creamed corn
Source: Bellyfull
We don’t know what this tastes like but surely a better option than roasted agbado. Just make sure you add chilli oil.
