The Hausa populations of Nigeria are heavily entrenched in the Islamic community, and have been one of the principal groups responsible for the spread of the religion to other parts of Nigeria, and Africa as a whole. As a Muslim people, the Hausa do not eat much meat at all, instead traditionally consuming more dairy products and grain-based dishes.
The most common crops used to prepare meals are millet, rice, and corn which are ground into meal or flour and then used as ingredients in many traditional dishes. Traditionally breakfast will consist of bean cakes known as kosai, or wheat flour that has been soaked for a day and then fried and served with sugar; this is known as funkaso. Both kinds of cakes can then also be served with porridge, known as coco. Lunch would then be a heavy porridge or stew known as tuwo da miya, which are often flavored with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. The evening meal traditionally is made up of several of these tuwo da miya dishes as well as soups containing okra, spinach, and pumpkin.
Due the restrictions of the Islamic diet, no pork is ever served at the traditional Hausa table. Instead, meats from cattle and goats are used to provide flavor and protein in their diet. An alternative to meat is often included for those that choose to abstain; this could be anything from peanuts to beans to cheese. Any dairy product has a certain amount of protein value, and from their association with the Fulani people, the Hausa have learned many ways they can adapt their cattle and goat’s milk into butters, cheese, and other products to enhance their traditional dining experience.
As a more pastoral people than their brethren the nomadic Fulani, the Hausa people have taken to cultivating the land on which they live, providing their families and communities with many different fruits and vegetables. Principal vegetables used in meals are beans, tomatoes, onions, spinach, okra, and pumpkin. This great variety in produce keeps the Hausa people strong, as a great deal of necessary vitamins and minerals are to be found in the vegetables that they eat as a part of their traditional diet. Fruits also have their place in the traditional Hausa meal; the most commonly found are plantains.
The Hausa have long been blended with the Fulani, and the two have learned and grown both together and as their own separate groups as a result of this cultural blending. The more nomadic Fulani provide additional manure for the stable Hausa homesteads to use in fertilizing their crops in exchange for the grains grown in plentiful amounts by the Hausa families. Both peoples are deeply involved in the Islamic faith, and have helped knowledge of their faith be spread throughout Nigeria and other lands they populate. Traditionally the Hausa people have stuck to a simple but flavorful diet rich with unique and tasty foods. The Hausa make good use of nature’s bounty in their traditional and everyday meals.
