Before you get defensive, let me be clear. Nigeria has great food. Some of the best comfort meals in the world. Jollof, egusi, suya, pepper soup, nkwobi, amala and ewedu, all elite. That’s not the argument.

The problem is variety and depth.

In many countries I’ve visited, food culture goes beyond daily meals. There are layers. Street snacks, festival foods, regional desserts, ceremonial dishes, seasonal delicacies you only get at certain times of the year. Foods that are not eaten every day, foods that feel special.

In Nigeria, we keep rotating the same meals and calling them delicacies.

Ask ten Nigerians to name Nigerian delicacies and you’ll hear the same list repeated with different plating. Jollof rice is not a delicacy. It’s a daily meal. Same with fried rice, stew, soups. Delicious, yes. Delicacy? Not really.

We don’t have a strong dessert culture. We barely experiment with pastries beyond meat pie, puff puff, chin chin. Compare that to countries where desserts alone could fill a restaurant menu. Even our snacks are limited and rarely elevated.

Another issue is how quickly Nigerians shut down food innovation. Try to create something new and someone will say, “That’s not Nigerian food.” Meanwhile, other cultures constantly evolve their cuisine while still honoring tradition.

I’ve also noticed that many Nigerian restaurants, especially abroad and in Lagos, struggle to define what makes Nigerian food special beyond portion size and pepper. Everything is heavy, filling, and familiar. Very little is delicate, experimental, or refined.

This isn’t about hating Nigerian food. It’s about admitting that our food culture hasn’t expanded the way our music and films have. Afrobeats evolved. Nollywood evolved. Food? We’re still guarding the same pot.

The question is not whether Nigerian food is good. It is. The real question is why we’ve stopped pushing it forward.

Do we truly lack delicacies, or have we just refused to create new ones?