🇳🇬 Food Truck Tour: Fork in Nigeria
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Egusi soup and fufu dough from Fork in Nigeria in the East Market. Photos: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios
Our latest stop on the Food Truck Tour won't judge you for eating with your hands — It's encouraged.
What I ate: Fufu and egusi soup from Fork in Nigeria, a dish that's gained attention in the U.S. through "fufu challenge" reaction videos on TikTok.
- When I asked for silverware, the employee shook his head and laughed. "You need to try it with your hands!"
- So I settled for extra napkins and gave it a shot.
Details: Fufu, a West African staple, is dough made from boiling and mashing cassava, a starchy root vegetable. Egusi soup contains ground melon seeds and vegetables.
- I added oxtail, a fatty, gelatin-rich meat still on the bone, but you can also add chicken, beef or goat to the soup.
How it works: Pull off a piece of fufu, flatten it with your fingers, and then use it as a soup scoop. Smaller pieces worked better for me.
Quick take: The subtly sour dough was a good complement to the zesty, nutty soup.
- The fufu was so filling, though, that I couldn't finish the egusi — and I enjoyed the taste of that a lot more.
The bottom line: I'll probably just order egusi soup by itself next time, but I recommend trying fufu at least once for the unique — albeit messy — experience.
If you go: Fork in Nigeria is now located at 3696 E Main St., near Whitehall.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the restaurant's new address.
