· 2 min read
Puff-puff is a soft, sweet fried dough ball eaten all over Nigeria. What it’s made of and how it differs from a doughnut.
Puff-puff is on almost every Nigerian party table, and it’s the dish Google lists as popular on our listing. If you’re new to Nigerian food, it’s a good place to start.
What it is
Puff-puff is a ball of yeast dough, fried until golden. The dough is simple: flour, sugar, yeast, water and a pinch of salt, sometimes with nutmeg. It’s left to rise, then scooped by hand into hot oil, where it puffs up into rough balls.
Outside, it’s golden and slightly crisp. Inside, it’s soft, light and a little chewy.
Is it a doughnut?
It’s close. Puff-puff is less sweet than most doughnuts, has no filling or icing, and is usually eaten warm. Similar fried dough balls are made across West and Central Africa under other names.
How we serve it
On our menu, puff-puff is deep fried light sweet dough balls, three to a portion, in the appetisers.
Small chops
In Nigeria, “small chops” means the snacks served at parties and events, often in a small box or on a platter. Puff-puff is nearly always one of them, along with things like spring rolls, samosas, peppered gizzard and meat on sticks. Our guides to meat pie and chin chin and suya and stick meat cover more of our small chops.
Try it
Order puff-puff as a starter when you book a table, or add it to a collection or delivery order.
Hungry?
See what’s on our menu, book a table at 13 Pier Road, or order for collection or delivery.