Why do Nigerians eat Suya at nightfall?

Suya is a friendly Northern Nigerian Street Barbecue. Yes, we call it friendly because of its affordability and acceptability across the nation. Nearly, every Nigerian have eaten this delicacy. Suya is basically spicy meat made with skewered beef, ram or chicken; kidney, liver and tripe are also used. This Northern Street food is widely enjoyed in every part of the country. It’s weird to note that Suya is prepared only in the evenings and by Northerners we call ‘Mallams’. People believe that the best time to enjoy Suya is only at sundown. It’s like an unwritten culture. Even though you crave it now, you will have to wait till dusk to have a taste of its sumptuousness. Anyways whoever introduced the selling of this spicy meat only at nightfall deserves an accolade. We are sure you are wondering why Mallams wait till nightfall as the perfect time to sell this spicy street beef. The answer to your curiosity lies here.

Suya is more attractive at dusk
The sight of well-arranged glossy grilled meat can get anyone drooling. That sight is heavenly. Even if you didn’t think of buying suya after the hustle and bustle of the day, when you sight the glossy grilled meat, your taste bud goes agog. Then when you get close, it’s hard to resist the aroma, you may find yourself ordering for more than you planned to.

Evenings are Time for Hangout
Since Suya is a snack that pairs with just about anything, what better time to grab it than the evenings after the hustle and bustle of the day. Evening is a perfect time to relax after close of daily activities. People take advantage of this and hang out at their favourite fun spot where they gulp their drinks with suya. We also have bachelors buy suya, head home and add them to noodles for dinner. So, for the culture, Suya is best sold at nightfall. It’s like asking why Champions League is played at night…lol

Preparation Takes Time
The procedure of making Suya is quite lengthy. The Mallam does everything himself; he shops the meat fresh daily, slices, skewers and spices the beef. He allows it to marinate for some hours. And when the marinade is ready, he begins to grill them. This process can take up the entire day. The longer the marinade, the spicer the beef.

The Daytime are for Other Hustle
The Mallam possibly has other businesses to attend to during the daytime, asides from selling Barbecue at nightfall. Whatever he makes as income, he reinvests in the Suya business. As time goes on, he may give all his attention to the hustle that profits him the most, then rest during the daytime. 

It is a Norm
Nigerians are quick to accept a norm. They find it unusual for any Mallam to sell Suya during the daytime. Changing to what they accept as a norm may be a hard thing to do. They will hardly patronise any mallam that sells Suya in the afternoon.  

Hot Stand/Weather
The Grilling spot is hot for any Mallam to stand there for such a long time. Though some of them may want to sell Suya during the day, the Nigerian weather is not conducive for them to do so. They rather do that when at sunset for convenience.

Asides from Suya, are there any other street food that tastes better at night? Gist us in the comment section.

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