Core Ingredients:

1. Palm Oil: Extracted from the fruit of oil palms, commonly used in stews and soups.
2. Fresh Tomatoes: A base for many Nigerian dishes.
3. Red Bell Peppers (Tatashe): Adds color and sweetness.
4. Scotch Bonnet Peppers (Ata Rodo): For heat and flavor.
5. Onions: Essential for soups, stews, and frying.
6. Protein Sources: Chicken, beef, goat meat, smoked fish, and stockfish.

Traditional Spices and Seasonings:

1. Locust Beans (Iru): A fermented seasoning for soups and stews.
2. Crayfish (Ground): Adds depth to soups like Egusi and Efo Riro.
3. Stock Cubes: Knorr or Maggi cubes are commonly used for seasoning.
4. Ogiri: Fermented melon seed paste, used in soups.
5. Dry Fish: Enhances the flavor of traditional soups.

Common Herbs:

1. Thyme: Frequently used in stews and jollof rice.
2. Curry Powder: For aroma and taste.
3. Scent Leaves: Adds a unique flavor to soups and stews.
4. Uziza Leaves: Used in pepper soup and other traditional dishes.

Flours and Starches:

1. Yam Flour (Elubo): Used for making amala.
2. Cassava Flour (Garri): Staple for eba.
3. Plantain Flour: Alternative for fufu.
4. Cornmeal (Ogi): Used for pap, a breakfast porridge.

Unique Ingredients:

1. Bitterleaf: For bitterleaf soup.
2. Okra: Used in slimy soups like Okra soup.
3. Egusi Seeds: Ground melon seeds for egusi soup.
4. Pepper Soup Spice Mix: A blend of spices for pepper soup.
5. Uda Seeds: Used in pepper soup and other spiced dishes.
6. Banga Spice: For banga soup.
7. Groundnut (Peanut): Used in peanut soup.

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