As the cost of tomatoes continues to skyrocket across Nigeria, consumers are getting inventive and turning to alternative ingredients to satisfy their cravings for fresh stews and jollof rice.
In major cities like Lagos and Oyo, a basket of tomatoes that previously sold for between 58,000 – 78,000 naira now fetches 110,000 – 150,000 naira due to extreme scarcity.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, cited the severe Tomato Leaf Miner infestation, dubbed “Tomato Ebola,” as the root cause for the now luxury status of tomatoes and ball pepper.
Consumers have been voicing their frustrations for weeks, lamenting the lack of affordable options for fresh stews and jollof rice without the essential tomato ingredient.
“How can we be expected to pay over N3000 just for five pieces of tomatoes?” asked Lagos resident Amina Usman. “It’s outrageous and hurts families like mine.”
Traders have also bemoaned the shortages and poor profit margins. “My supplies are very limited, and I have to charge extremely high prices just to break even,” said a Lagos tomato seller Adamu Garba.
To cope, many Nigerians are exploring vegetable alternatives such as cucumbers, pawpaw, and carrots – not only for their affordability but their potential health benefits, though the flavors don’t exactly replicate tomatoes.
Cucumbers:
1. Peel off the cucumber skin
2. Remove the seeds
3. Blend the cucumber flesh with peppers and other seasonings
Reddish Pawpaw:
1. Peel and deseed pawpaw
2. Blend the pawpaw flesh with peppers and seasonings
Carrots:
1. Peel and grate carrots
2. Blend grated carrots with peppers, onions and seasonings
As the tomato crisis shows no sign of abating, these veggie-based sauces allow Nigerians to stretch their budgets while still enjoying flavorful meals.
“I miss tomato stew, but this carrot mixture is pretty the same and much cheaper,” Ayo Bello told VeonewsNG. “You have to adapt to what you can afford.”
While not quite the same as tomato-based dishes, the substitutes allow people to get creative and make do during this period of shortage and high prices.
