The Story of Suya Yaji Seasoning

This blend was developed based on a curiosity that sprung up from our internal discussion about African spices and seasoning blends. We were getting ready to send out an email to our customers about that very topic when we got to thinking about some of the foods found in Africa, specifically street foods, as it was nearing grilling season. Looking into more street foods and spice blends from Africa brought us to Suya, seasoned by Yaji. This food and spice blend, sometimes simply called suya blend, were standouts among the crowd, making them the best choice for our new African seasoning.

Suya, a beef kabob, is one of the most popular Nigerian street foods, and the famous blend that goes on it can be called either suya or yaji. Usually, the spice blend is referred to as yaji, but the two are interchangeable in some places. To avoid confusion, we included both in the name of our blend so that it could be found more easily. Yaji has a reputation for being an aphrodisiac in Nigeria, with some households even having two different blends for the parents and a milder, tamed down version for the children to eat.

Suya has been the source of great controversy in Nigeria as well. Suya carts are numerous and plenty across the Nigerian horizon, making for great gathering places for men to sit and eat, chatting late into the evening. Women are rarely present for these involved conversations, as they are typically at home doing more domestic work. In the early 1990s, a Christian suya maker told one of his Muslim customers that he had been using pork, not beef, to make his suya. To consume pork was a violation of Muslim dietary restrictions, so this customer became quickly irate. The two got into a fight, and several other customers joined in from around that cart and other carts. Eventually people spilled out onto the streets, all fighting, and over 100 deaths were reported from this riot! Some witnesses blamed the “exciting” factor of the yaji spice for all the intense energy that circulated around this event, especially since most participants had just been eating the suya.

What’s in Suya Yaji?

Our Suya Yaji is hand blended from peanuts, sea salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic, ginger, and onion.

Flavor Profile

Our Suya Yaji Seasoning blend is nutty, spicy, smoky, and has hints of onion and garlic, making it the perfect blend to use on kabobs.

Where to Use

You can use Suya Yaji on suya of course, or kabobs of any kind really, but it is also useful for adding a peanutty, smoky flavor to soups, stews, and sauces. Add it to batters for deep frying food, like fried pickles or cauliflower! It’s even good in pancake and waffle batter, especially if you are doing a savory dish like chicken and waffles. It is a nice rub for fruits, vegetables, meats of all sorts, and some mild tasting fish like cod.

If you love fried plantains, this is the perfect blend to throw on them right after they’ve been pulled from the oil. Add this spice blend to salads or combine it with softened butter to make a yaji butter that can be spread on toast, muffins, baked potatoes, or butternut squash. It’s excellent on cheese, particularly soft cheeses like cottage cheese and mozzarella. Some other foods that taste great with Suya Yaji Seasoning include grilled fruits. The smokiness of this blend is especially delicious with grilled pineapple or grilled peaches. Put it on rice like you would a furikake seasoning, or add it to pasta dishes like fettuccini alfredo.

Helpful Hints

Suya does contain peanuts so anyone with a peanut allergy should not have any exposure to this blend! In Nigeria, cooks are very generous with their yaji. If you are making your own suya, coat your meat in peanut oil and then dip it right into a tray of the yaji, ensuring that ever inch of the meat is covered. Let it sit for at least an hour before cooking so the flavors can permeate the meat.

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