Tomato Scarcity Inspires Nigerian Mothers To Create New Recipes

Tomato Scarcity Inspires Nigerian Mothers To Create New Recipes

Families all over Nigeria are finding alternatives to tomato in their kitchens after scarcity pushed up price of tomatoes.

Carrot, cucumber, ginger and crayfish are growingly replacing tomato on home recipes women have been willing to share with Daily Trust.

Faced with scarcity and high cost of tomatoes, Halima Ibrahim unlisted tomato from among ingredients for her stew.

"I now blend carrot and cucumber, mix in fresh onions and pepper to make my stew since the tomato scarcity started,” she said.

“And when you taste the stew, I can assure you that it tastes better than stew made with tomato.”

The scarcity hit after more than 200 tomato farms were ravaged by a virus called Tuta absolute, which has since become known as ‘Tomato Ebola”

It has led to import of canned tomato paste, many of them from China, and considered substandard, prompting a call by the Association of Agricultural Products and Equipment Manufacturers in Nigeria (APEMAN) for a nationwide ban on tomato paste import.

“Tomato is now too expensive for me to buy since the tomato Ebola occurred, and instead of me to buy tinned tomato that I do not know how it is produced or where it was brought from, I prefer to use carrots and cucumber. At least my family will be healthy,” said Ibrahim.

‎Jamila Aliyu has replaced tomato with ginger, crayfish, onions and pepper to make her stew. "In fact, my children like the new stew better than the old. If you see them licking their plates, you will be shocked and I think even when the situation improves, I will stick to my recipe."

Naomi Kantiyok, a housewife from Barnawa Area of Kaduna state said, "Today, tomatoes is a no-go area because it is no longer affordable, a basket that used to cost N1,500 now goes for N40,000. If I buy the basket of tomatoes, what will I cook it with since all the money is used to get just one food item?

"What I do now is buy tinned tomato that is known to me, not the new ones that are springing up because of the scarcity, then I will grind fresh pepper and onions to fry my stew. It comes out very nice and it expands more than stew made from fresh tomatoes."

Nigerian mothers are intelligent and amazing. Please share this post so others can learn from this new recipes. Also please your recipe with us so others can learn from you.