Nigerian Chin Chin Recipe

Xmas is the great time for aromatic, crunchy chin chin, a modest, sweet crunchy fried Nigerian snack that arrives in a range of designs and dimensions, from chunky cubes to straight noodles to slim flakes. Though eaten 12 months round, Christmas time is key chin chin year and you will uncover people today frying up substantial batches at household to take in, to entertain company with, and to give to others. 

Chin chin starts with a gentle sweet dough manufactured from all-objective flour, sugar, fat (this sort of as butter, margarine, or oil), flavoring (nutmeg and vanilla are frequently used but Nigerian purple dry pepper might also be current), eggs, and/or water or milk. My variation features fresh new citrus zest, possibly lemon or orange, which is an untraditional addition that has grow to be a preferred of mine. The dough is rolled out by hand or handed by means of a pasta roller, reduce into a range of styles, and fried. It is popular to consume chin chin both equally heat and cold: Freshly fried chin chin are delicate and crumbly, but will harden and become crunchy after awesome. 

A variety of matters have modified with chin chin because I was a kid in Warri, on the southern coast of Nigeria. Developing up, you could not come across chin chin in supermarkets. To get some, you possibly created it at home, purchased it from avenue stalls, or ordered it from good friends. My mother had a close friend, Mrs. A, who we’d purchase tubs from just to have around. The tubs would arrive loaded to the brim with golden nutmeg-scented chin chin. We would leave a tub out on the counter and stash the rest in the freezer where by they lasted a number of months. As soon as we have been ready for a different tub, we’d take in it right from the freezer or thaw it out. Above the previous 10 years, commercially-created chin chin have emerged, lining supermarket cabinets in effortless tiny snack packs and in jars. Lots of industrial versions do not use eggs since of its impression on preservation. As a substitute, they depend on margarine and total milk powder to improve shelf lifestyle and to incorporate unwanted fat. 

For several years, chin chin was almost solely identified in its basic nutmeg flavor. Today, there’s a large amount of creativity when it comes to taking part in all around with ingredients and flavors. For the dough, you can check out including gluten-totally free flours like almond and coconut flours, and mixing in unique spices (like masala chai, pumpkin spice, apple pie), aromatics (like the citrus zest I like to use), extracts like vanilla or almond, and floral waters like orange flower and rose. You can also toss the fried chin chin with flavored syrups, caramels, cookie crumbs, and far more. Really feel free of charge to experiment when building your chin chin. When fried, you can appreciate it on its have, with your favored warm or chilly beverage, and even in a bowl coated with milk and eaten like cereal.