THE QUIRKY OVEN
Have a sweet tooth? If you haven’t already tasted it, puff puff is a snack that hits the sweet spot, commonly enjoyed at most African celebrations. It’s so good, that like jollof rice not one country claims it as only ‘theirs.’ Here’s what these African countries know it as:
Puff puff – Nigeria
Mikate – Congo
Bofrot – Ghana
Kala – Liberia
Mandazi – Uganda
Abi Ogundupe, founder of The Quirky Oven is Nigerian, so of course it’s ‘puff puff’ to her. She’s created a ready-made, vegan-friendly mix that makes it easy to make yours in no time. Here Abi shares more:
When did you create your puff puff mix and what inspired you?
“I launched the business back in 2017. Puff puff is found at different types of celebrations, but I wanted to make it easier for people to make and enjoy puff puff at home.”
As you’re Nigerian, can you share when puff puff is traditionally eaten in Nigeria?
“Puff puff is a popular African street food loved by both adults and children; the taste being very similar to a doughnut. The truth is it’s so versatile that it can be served for breakfast, at snack time or even as a dinner party dessert.”
Do you have a preference of how you personally enjoy eating yours?
“It’s often served plain, but I love adding cinnamon to mine and caramel drizzle. The best thing about puff puff is you can have it at anytime, you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy it.”
When I tried the mix it was a casual weekday evening, as I wanted an excuse to jazz up the mid-week meal. After following the instructions (simply adding water), mixing, and leaving for some time to sit, I had the perfect puff puff mix, ready to fry.
My number one tip? Unless you’re a pro at dropping the mix into oil for it to form the perfect circular shape, try using a scoop of some sort. Either way, they taste SO good and this mix saves precious time!
