Chop Chop - by Ozoz Sokoh (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In Nigeria, the word "chop" is all about food and feasting and "chop chop" a nickname given to someone who loves to eat. And it's no surprise Nigeria has an entire vernacular dedicated to eating-with more than 50 nationally recognized languages and 250 ethnicities, Nigeria's food is as rich and diverse as its people. Think smoky spicy beef suya skewers, egusi stew rich with wild greens, restorative pepper soup, jollof rice studded with tomatoes, soft puff puff dough bites fried until golden, and sweet-tart hibiscus drinks. With ingredients that include nuts and seeds, greens, grains, and cereals (especially in the north), roots and tubers (favorites of the south), and affordable proteins, they come together on the plate in the form of hearty soups and stews, steamed puddings, salads, rice dishes, fritters, and more. Despite the foodway's incredibly flavorful complexity, its recipes have never been gathered in one place. Until now. Author, culinary anthropologist, and Nigerian native Ozoz Sokoh celebrates classic and traditional Nigerian cuisine, through the lens of the home cooks with explanations to underscore the ingredients, flavors, and textures that make it not only beloved but delicious. With headnotes that give cultural and historical context, illuminating sidebars, ingredient profiles, and stunning photographs, Chop Chop will bring Nigeria's food-loving spirit to home kitchens everywhere"--

Book Synopsis

WINNER, JAMES BEARD AWARD FOR EMERGING VOICE IN BOOKS

NAUTILUS BOOK AWARD WINNER

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST COOKBOOK OF 2025

"This introduction to classic Nigerian home cooking features 100 delicious recipes by food explorer, culinary anthropologist, and Nigerian Native of @kitchenbutterfly fame, Ozoz Sokoh."

In Nigeria, the word "chop" is all about food and feasting and "chop chop" a nickname given to someone who loves to eat. And it's no surprise Nigeria has an entire vocabulary dedicated to eating--with more than 50 nationally recognized languages and over 250 ethnicities, Nigeria's food is as rich and diverse as its people.This book reflects the foodways' incredibly flavorful complexity, ingredients, and recipes from all six regions, gathered and showcased in a highly photographic cookbook.

In Chop Chop, author, culinary anthropologist, and Nigerian native Ozoz Sokoh celebrates classic and traditional Nigerian cuisine to underscore the ingredients, flavors, and textures that make it not only beloved, but delicious and easy for the home cook. Featuring:

• A COLLECTION OF CLASSIC AND TRADITIONAL NIGERIAN RECIPES: Think smoky spicy beef suya skewers, egusi soup with greens, restorative pepper soup, jollof rice studded with tomatoes, soft puff puff dough bites, and sweet-tart hibiscus drinks, and more from across the country.
• LEXICON OF NIGERIAN CUISINE: Learn how to shop and cook like a Nigerian and learn about the ingredients integral to Nigerian cuisine, like nuts and seeds, greens, grains, and cereals (especially in the north), roots and tubers (favorites of the south), and proteins that come together on the plate in the form of hearty soups and stews, steamed puddings, salads, rice dishes, fritters, and more.
• ILLUMINATING CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL EXPLORATIONS: With headnotes and sidebars that give important cultural and historical context, including how Nigerian cuisine travelled the globe leaving its mark, learn the deep roots behind dishes and drinks, and global foodways connections.
• STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY: With gorgeous photos from Nigeria's landscapes, food markets, and people, as well as beautiful photography of ingredients and finished dishes, Chop Chop is a cookbook to behold.

Review Quotes

"Chop Chop showcases elegantly Ozoz's love for her nation's cuisine and skillfully guides both newcomer and connoisseur into the riches of Nigerian food."
--Yemisi Aribisala, author of Longthroat Memoirs

"[Sokoh's] joyful love-letter-cum-cookbook covers all six regions with 100 culturally curious recipes, stunning photography and fun historical explanations tracing how ingredients like cassava were introduced and adopted into the country's post-colonial foodways. Nigerian cuisine is a kaleidoscope of soups, stews, sauces, swallows (soft, doughy, glutinous starches) and more."
--Elle Canada

"A joy. . . . Sokoh explains textures, tastes and context clearly and also gives a helpful guide to possible substitutions where applicable."--Nigella Lawson's Cookbook Corner

"Groundbreaking."
--Globe and Mail

"Ozoz writes like a dream as she invites us to engage with the rich, delicious food cultures of Nigeria. The lovely photos are an enticing backdrop to her recipes and stories."
--Naomi Duguid, author of The Miracle of Salt and Taste of Persia

"Pages devoted to plantains, grilled meats, leaf wraps, steamed puddings and Nigerian breakfasts are interspersed with historical and cultural context for deeper understanding beyond a delicious meal."--Los Angeles Times

"Sokoh poured nearly two decades of experience exploring Nigerian food into the vibrant pages of Chop Chop. She organizes a broad survey of this robust, piquant and balanced cuisine into a guide that supports and empowers the home cook, offering a shortlist of ingredients . . . at the start of each chapter so you can assess your pantry before diving in."
--Yewande Komolafe, New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2025

"A beautiful book, filled not only with recipes, history, and culture, but the most amazing photos."
--Linda Gassenheimer's Food, News, and Views

"A deep, delicious dive into [Nigerian cooking]."--Francis Lam, The Splendid Table

"What I love is that you get the historical and cultural context with every recipe. The photography is beautiful, [Sokoh] is a brilliant storyteller... its storytelling that's very grounded in... rigorous research. It doesn't feel like an academic book but you will come away feeling completely refreshed, educated, and enlightened."
--Gurd Loyal, olive: the Food & Drink podcast

"With more than 100 recipes spanning Nigeria's six culinary regions, plus insights into the country's food culture and history, [Chop Chop] is both a cookbook and culinary textbook -- crafted by a lifelong home cook tracing the roots and stories behind the dishes she makes."--The Toronto Star

"From classics like pepper soup, jollof rice, and sūya̱ to less well-known dishes such as yòyò (fried whitebait) and spices like aridan, Chop Chop gives a rich and loving culinary picture of the food of Africa's most peopled country. Recipes have easy-to-follow directions and the book is filled with glorious photographs of individual dishes, local markets, and more."
--Jessica B. Harris, PhD, culinary historian, professor, lecturer, and author of High on the Hog

About the Author

Ozoz Sokoh is a Nigerian food writer and educator. A geologist by training, she began documenting her food journey on her blog Kitchen Butterfly in 2009. Central to her work is connectedness through food, food sovereignty, cultural identity, reclamation of food systems, and the joy of eating. Her research and documentation explore the roots of Nigerian and West African cuisine, the impact of West African intellectual contributions to global development from the American South, through the Caribbean to Europe, Central and South Americas, and the connection to the Afro-diaspora.

Sokoh has spoken at TEDx and at conferences hosted by the Culinary Institute of America. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, Gastro Obscura, CNN African Voices, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, among others.

She is a professor of Food and Tourism Studies at Centennial College, Ontario-Canada, where she teaches a variety of courses including Exploration of Foodways. She makes her home with her three teenage children in Mississauga, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Find her online @KitchenButterfly.