It’s night time; my little hand is held by my father’s big hand as we stand in a queue by a roadside waiting for our turn so we can buy what we came for. I tug at my father’s shirt to carry me, and I succeed. I watch as people collect their order and noisily trickle away. The air is filled with the sweet smell of roasted meat and spices; the flashing light of cars passing by sometimes falls on our faces. I watch as different people stand in the queue just like us waiting for their turns.

It finally gets to our turn, and my excitement erupts. We’re here to buy suya to celebrate me passing my primary school leaving certificate examination. Suya is a delicious spicy Nigerian grilled meat delicacy from the northern part of the country that looks like shish kebab but has a spicier and nutty taste. Yaji is the spice used for suya , and it is what gives suya its unique and memorable taste and smell.

Standing in front of the suya seller, my dad tells him the amount of suya we want. The suya seller takes his knife, picks up a stick of suya from a pile, and expertly cuts a tiny piece for me and my father to taste. We rub the suya on the yaji spice. The mallam smiles as we taste the suya, and my father nods his assent. The suya man drops down more sticks of suya, places them on the flames of his charcoal grill, opens a stack of old newspapers, removes our suya from the grill and calmly slices the suya into smaller pieces. I watch as he blinks away the smoke coming from the charcoal grill and continues slicing the meat. He picks up a bowl of suya spice and sprinkles it generously on the suya. He adds diced onion and cabbage on the suya, wraps up everything, places it in a black nylon bag, and passes it to my father who in turn passes it to me. I swagger home in happiness with my father.

Whether passing an exam, completing a project, graduating, or getting a job, suya has always been the culinary accompaniment to my success. The combination of the tender meat and peanut (yaji) spice always evokes a sense of childish joy and accomplishment. It’s a symbol of celebration, and a reminder of my hard work.