Ibadan There are only a few decent restaurants or 'eateries' where you can go out for a good meal in Ibadan. The reason for such shortage is because most locals eat out only when they cannot wait to get home. Eating out as a way to relax or for occasions is not part of the culture, rather than do that people prepare lots of food at home and invite others round to party with them. It has to be said that there are quite a number of local eateries littered all over the city popularly known as 'bukas'. These eating holes are generally little more than sheds with corrugated iron roofs and open spaces behind or in front which serve as kitchens. As a result of this kitchin positioning, smoke is a common feature in the eating area, especially when the wind blows. They are very popular among the people because the food is affordable and familiar. It usually consists of different sorts of grain that has been processed and cooked, various vegetables and an assorted combination of meat. The most popular local dish is 'Amala' (roughly described as black pudding) and 'Gbegiri' (bean soup) or 'Efo' (vegetable soup). The food is usually served steaming hot. Add to this the presence of red-hot chilli peppers in the soup on a hot afternoon then you would surely believe the locals have an internal cooling system in their mouths that enable them eat their meals with so much gusto. For those visiting who may be tempted to experiment with the local cuisine, I am sure it would be a pleasant experience so long as you steer clear of the bukas. The locals may enjoy and have the stomach for food prepared in this way, but foreigners who are not African generally do not. Eating food from the hotel you are staying may turn out to be the safest option. If however you find that you must eat out, then it may be worth visiting the hotels I mentioned earlier in the accommodation section. They serve very good local dishes as well as a few, though limited, foreign ones. Another place you may go for a meal is Cocoa House; it has one of the few restaurants in town worth going to. The beer made in Nigeria is quite strong when compared with what is made in Europe, hence an eye should be kept on the number of bottles consumed, especially if you're in public and intend getting back to base on your own. For the more adventurous there is a popular local drink called 'Emu' (Palm Wine). It is a natural juice from Palm Trees that grows wild all over the city and other parts of Nigeria. The traditionalists drink it from calabashes (these are locally made containers made from plants).
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