What it is
Boli is ripe or half-ripe plantain roasted whole or split over an open charcoal fire until charred outside and soft inside. It is typically sold by roadside vendors and served with a spicy sauce made from pepper, palm oil and often fish.
Key ingredients
- plantain
- pepper sauce
- palm oil
- ground crayfish
- onions
- grilled fish (optional accompaniment)
A list of what goes in, not a recipe. Quantities and method vary by household.
How it is eaten
Boli is eaten by hand, usually dipped into a pepper and palm oil sauce, and is often bought hot from a roadside vendor in the evening as a snack or light meal, sometimes accompanied by grilled fish.
Cultural significance
Boli is strongly associated with Port Harcourt and the wider Niger Delta and southern Nigeria, where it is a familiar roadside snack sold from braziers in the evening. It is eaten widely across the country as a general street food rather than belonging to a single ethnic group.
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