WHERE TO BUY YORUBA INGREDIENTS ABROAD – And The Perfect Substitutes When Needed
Finding where to buy Yoruba ingredients abroad can be so stressful and frustrating, especially when you’re homesick and need some food that takes you back to the motherland.
“Mummy, this food smells like home”
That was what my 8-year-old daughter said the first time I made ẹ̀gúsí soup in our new home in Leeds, UK. I didn’t have the exact ingredients my mum used in Ibadan — but with a little research, trial and error, and video calls to Nigeria — I made it work.
If you’ve ever tried to recreate your favorite Yorùbá dish abroad, you’ll know the struggle of finding where to buy Yoruba ingredients abroad: no iru, tete, elubo, or fresh ewédú. Yet the hunger for home tastes persists.
This post is for you, whether you’re a student in the US, a nurse in the UK, a tech worker in Germany, or an adventurous cook elsewhere in the world.
pumpkin seeds or pepitas, melon substitute
1. Where to Buy Yorùbá Ingredients Abroad
You don’t have to smuggle elubo in your checked luggage anymore (though many of us still do). These options have done a good job providing good options for where to buy Yoruba ingredients abroad. Try these:
- UK: visit https://ogbongeh.com/ is a UK-based online grocery store specializing in authentic Nigerian and African food products. It offers a wide range of items, including palm oil, fufu, yam, spices, and snacks, catering to the African diaspora in the UK. Customers appreciate its reliable delivery and quality packaging, making it a convenient option for sourcing traditional African ingredients .
- US: visit https://www.osiafrik.com/ OsiAfrik is a US-based online grocery store specializing in authentic Nigerian and African food products. It offers a wide selection of items including flours, spices, seafood, vegetables. Orders are shipped within 2 business days across the U.S., providing a fast and convenient shopping experience for customers seeking traditional African ingredients.
2. Real Substitutes That Actually Work
| Yorùbá Ingredient | Hard to Find Abroad? | Substitution Tips |
| Egusi (melon seed) | Sometimes | Raw pumpkin seeds or pepitas blended smooth |
| Ugwu / Tete leaves | Often | Fresh spinach, kale, or collard greens |
| Iru (locust beans) | Rare | Fermented soybean paste (tiny amount of miso or doenjang) |
| Ewédú (jute leaves) | Very rare | Frozen molokhia or okra as substitute |
| Yam (for Iyan) | Limited | Frozen yam or powdered yam flour (Elubo/Iyan) |
| Ofada rice | Uncommon | Short-grain brown rice or jasmine rice |
| Palm oil | Rare in groceries | Find in African stores or Amazon |
Spinach leaf, Ugwu or Tete substitute
3. My Favorite Yorùbá Dishes I Cook Abroad
Ẹ̀gúsí Soup and Eba
Substitutions: Pumpkin seeds for egusi, spinach for ugu, and fermented soybean paste (little bit) for iru.
Àmàlà with Gbegiri and Ewédú
Substitutions: Frozen okra or molokhia for ewédú, bean flour for gbegiri, and powdered yam flour for àmàlà.
Moin Moin in a Cupcake Tray
Substitutions: Bean flour or canned black-eyed peas. Bake in oven-safe cups.
Ìkòkòrè (Ijebu Water Yam Pottage)
Substitution: Water yam is hard to find, but some Asian stores sell it frozen. Or try grated white yam (boiled and mashed slightly).
4. Tips for Diaspora Cooks
After securing where to buy Yoruba ingredients abroad, what next? Here are some tips for Yoruba chefs anywhere in the world:
- Join Nigerian food groups on Facebook or WhatsApp (e.g., Nigerian Foodie UK, Nigerian Women in Canada Cooking Group).
- Always read labels: Palm oil is often labeled “red oil” or “huile de palme”.
- Freeze and store in batches: Make soups/stews in bulk and freeze them in containers.
- Video call your mum, aunty or sister. Seriously, they hold the real recipes in their heads.
It’s Not About Perfection, It’s About Preservation
Cooking native meals in the diaspora is not just about securing where to buy Yoruba ingredients abroad. It’s about connection. To culture. To memory. To identity. Even if your gbegiri isn’t silky or your amala sticks too much, you’ve preserved a part of who you are.
Your Turn, what Will You Cook First?
Will it be ẹgúsí soup with pumpkin seeds? Or Ìkòkòrè with frozen water yam? Whatever you choose, know this: you are keeping the flame of Yorùbá culture alive, one spicy spoonful at a time. Also, you can prepare your homemade meals in ways that heal–having your food as medicine.
References
- Ajayi, K. (2020). The Art of Yoruba Cooking Abroad.
- Diaspora Kitchen Collective (2023). Global Nigerian Ingredients & Adaptation Guide.
