Efo Riro (Nigerian Stewed Greens)

A flavorful stew of silky amaranth leaves and tender cubes of beef, seasoned with ground crayfish.

Nigerian Masa (Fermented Rice Cake Balls)

Crunchy fermented rice cakes that can be served sweet or savory.

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Seasoned with Caribbean-style curry powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, ginger, and garlic, jollof rice is enjoyed as a main dish. It is often paired with beef, chicken, goat, and fish, or eggs.

Nigerian Fried Rice

Vegetable-studded fried rice seasoned with Nigerian-style curry powder, dried thyme, and bay leaves.

Fried Potato Mochi

These agemochi-inspired snacks demonstrate how potato starch can create a range of textures.

Nigerian Egusi Soup

This creamy, nutty ‘soup’ is made from Egusi melon seeds which are ground and poached in seasoned stock, often with a mix of protein (beef and dried fish being most common) and greens.

Sini Manti (Armenian Baked Lamb Manti)

Crunchy-crisp baked lamb dumplings in a rich, aromatic broth.

Banh Chung for Lunar New Year

In areas with a sizable Vietnamese community, you can find banh chung around Lunar New Year. Stacked in neat bricks, sometimes even warm, the sign of a good banh chung is one that's meaty, hefty, and tightly rolled. Here's a recipe and how-to.

Akara (Nigerian Black-Eyed Pea Fritters)

With their crunchy shells and creamy interiors, these black-eyed pea fritters are the quintessential Nigerian Saturday breakfast.

Suman (Filipino Steamed Sticky Rice Cakes)

Banana leaf gives suman—a steamed sticky rice cake—a distinct tinge of green and imparts a floral fragrance. Serve it with a generous sprinkle of muscovado sugar or a side of sweet ripe mango.