The cuisine of Niger draws on traditional African cuisines. Various spices are used and meals include grilled meat, seasonal vegetables, salads, and various sauces. Meals in Niger usually start with colorful salads made from seasonal vegetables. Moringa leaves are frequently used in salads.

Typical Nigerien meals consist of a starch (rice being the most common) paired with a sauce or stew. The starches eaten most often are millet and rice. Staple foods include millet, rice, cassava, sorghum, maize and beans.Niger – Rabah Seffal. p. 115. Couscous is saved for special occasions. Porridge, wheat dumplings, and beignets are some of Niger's most common snacks.Cuisine in the Sahara FoodSpring.com Retrieved 2012-03-22 One especially well-known food is jollof rice. Retrieved 2024-5-1

Plant agriculture production in Niger is significantly reliant upon rainfall to provide water for plants, and droughts have adversely affected Niger's agriculture production in the past, threatening the country's domestic food supply.Von Braun 1995, p. 176.

Tea is a common beverage in Niger.

Spices Some spices were brought to Niger by Arabian travelers, and include ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, and cloves.Hope for a Better World – Monique Mitchell. p. 110.The Recipes of Africa – Dyfed Lloyd Evans. pp. 101-103. Hot spices are also used in Nigerien cuisine. Sometimes spices are used to marinate meats to add flavor.

Common dishes

Jollof rice Dambou, dish made from cereals and moringa leaves Moringa, prepared with leaves of the "drumstick tree", the pods and flowers of which are also edible Stews and soups Millet porridge Palm nut soup

Common foods

Beans Black-eyed peas Cassava root Chicken Chickpeas Dates Fish Goat Coarse grains MilletFarmer-based Financing of Operations in the Niger Valley Irrigation Schemes. p. 5. Sorghum GroundnutsStirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine - James C. McCann. p. 112.Stirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine - James C. McCann. p. 133. Maize Mango Onion Beef Camel meat Guinea fowl Mutton Tiger nuts Fonio Rice Squash Cooked yams Yogurt

See also

African cuisine List of African dishes

References

Notes

Bibliography Von Braun, Joachim (1995). Employment for Poverty Reduction and Food Security. Intl Food Policy Res Inst. pp. 174–196.