In Nigeria, Masa Means Rice Cake
And we need advice for Singapore
Question: if you have 24 hours in Singapore and all you want to do is eat, where do you go? -Katherine
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In Nigeria, Masa Means Rice Cake
By Winifred Òdúnóku
The first time I tasted masa, I was a food-indifferent kid whose taste buds were still dormant.
I am of Yorùbá descent (predominantly people of southwestern Nigeria) but spent the first thirteen years of my life in Plateau state where I was immersed in the culture of the Hausa people and had the privilege of enjoying delicious meals indigenous to the northerners of Nigeria. My absolute favorite, then and now, is masa.
Masa is one of the more popular varieties of cereal-based foods amongst northerners in Nigeria. It is Nigeria's version of rice cake, and also known as waina or sinasir among the Hausa people. The major ingredients for making masa are rice, sugar, vegetable oil, salt, yeast, and a leavening agent. The first thing to prepare is the rice batter, which is made by blending raw soaked rice with water until creamy. The proofed yeast is added to the rice batter; the mixture is then covered up overnight to rise and ferment, ready to be fried by morning. A well prepared masa can last for hours without going stale, and can be enjoyed alone or paired with a sauce. Masa is historically traced to local festivals in some communities in Bauchi state. It is a sign of cultural heritage for the Hausas: you'll often find masa being served at traditional weddings, or packaged and sent as edible gifts.
My love for masa increased fourfold when it became available at the intersection closest to my father's house. Every morning, while I trekked to school with my brothers, we'd stop at the masa stand to buy some to eat on our way to school. Usually, the vendor had prepared her rice batter the previous night and was at her spot in the morning to start frying. The heat coming from the firewood burner marked the beginning of the day's business. She was often surrounded by buyers, with everyone fighting to get her attention first. She would ask each customer for their accompaniment preference: miyan alayyahu (spinach soup) or yaji (a spice mix). My love for masa knew no bounds, until relocation came to take all of that away.
About a decade later, I finally tasted masa again. This time, it was in Kebbi state while I was observing the compulsory one-year NYSC service in a private secondary school. Some students had brought masa to the staff room to share with interested teachers. What was the occasion being celebrated? "Nothing, Corper Winnie. This is just our way of appreciating you." 🇳🇬
Episode 216: Nescafé with Amy Nicholson
In which we unexpectedly and disappointingly give props to Frappuccinos.
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h/t Allison Tuuri. The pudding conversation will go on forever, because the Brits refuse to give a straight answer.
This is why media literacy needs to be taught early. This may seem like a silly example, but you want to know when you’re being used for profit, right? “Satire or not, the main refrain when content from Lax’s collaborators goes viral is based on some joke about how white women don’t know how to cook. It’s an undeniable part of the appeal of hate-sharing these videos. And it’s something Lax said he’s aware of.”
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Jealous of your transit in Singapore! Where are you heading to before or after?
My personal 24 hr bucket list is a bit niche, mostly because I lean to eating pescetarian now - (daily set at Onn Vegetarian, paper dosa or anything at Gokul, gunpowder dosa at Sri Kumbhakarna, nasi padang or tahu telur at Warung Ijo, dosa & putu piring at Geylang Serai, kueh pie tee IF I can find it, handmade noodles and fresh coconut at Lorong 32 Ban Mee, and xo fish beehon at Old Airport Road, tahu tempeh penyet at far east plaza). Also niche because I mentioned dosa 3 times, which is not that common and you can get that in Pasadena or Artesia here in LA anyway.
That being said, you can get great great great food almost anywhere (avoid the tourist restaurants along the river at Boat Quay please!), and there are a few more standard hits you can find in the hawker centers around the more central Chinatown area. (The ones above are restaurants and shops spread out through the east). Claypot rice, bbq chicken wings/stingray at Chinatown Complex, prata and teh tarik at Maxwell Food Centre, indian rojak, popiah, sate and bbq seafood at Lau Pa Sat (a bit uncool and touristy, but I like it), yong tau fu at Amoy Street Food Centre, bak chor mee at Hong Lim Food Centre, chicken or duck penyet at far east plaza (I will also get flack for this one, but I don't care) and as much sugarcane and calamansi I can get my hands on.