Why No One Warned Us About How Much We’d Miss African Food Abroad
When you’re packing your bags to move abroad, everyone warns you about the weather.
They tell you about the snow. They tell you about the accent. They even tell you about how bills will shock you.
But no one ever warns you about the one thing that will sneak up on you when you least expect it, that thing is food.
The Sudden Hunger for Home
One day, you’re walking past an aisle in a big supermarket and it hits you.
You’re surrounded by food, yet nothing feels right or like home. You can’t find palm oil. The yams look like strangers. Plantain is nowhere to be found, no suya seller at your junctions that sells suya, And don’t even get started on stockfish.
That’s when it hits you: African food isn’t just food. It's a memory. It’s family. It’s comfortable.
The Effort We Go Through
Ask anyone in the diaspora, we’ve all been there:
- Calling relatives to ask who’s “coming from back home” and begging them to bring dried pepper.
- Driving two hours just to find a small African store tucked away in the corner of a city.
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Trying to substitute ugwu with spinach, or suya spice with paprika, and realizing…it’s not the same.
It’s not just the ingredients. It’s the feeling of home we’re chasing.
What We Really Miss
We miss the smell of stew simmering on Sundays.
We miss the crunch of chin chin after school.
We miss the comfort of efo riro on a rainy evening.
We miss the warmth of sitting around a pot of Jollof with friends and family.
And no, no one warned us about just how deep that longing would cut.
Finding Home in Every Bite
The good news? Home doesn’t have to feel so far away anymore. With our online African grocery store like MamaJones, you don’t have to wait months or travel miles just to taste familiar flavors.
At MamaJones, we bring those essentials , from palm oil to fufu flour, plantain chips to suya spice, right to your doorstep. Because sometimes, the fastest way home is through your kitchen.