Since our pop-up days, we've invited you to share in Nigerian culture. So, whilst we're known as the Nigerian tapas restaurant, at Chuku's, food is only one part of our celebration of Nigerian culture.
From our dining experience to our special events to our monthly newsletter, we've spent the last decade sharing what we can about Nigeria and hopefully encouraged you to discover even more for yourselves.
So, here are 10 things we hope we've taught you about Nigerian culture along the way.
1. Nigerian Culture isn't a Monolith
With over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages spoken in the country, Nigeria is home to a richly diverse mix of cultures, traditions, histories and cuisines. Which means there's no single way to experience Nigerian culture.
If you've been to a traditional Yoruba wedding, you've experienced a traditional Yoruba wedding. A traditional Tiv or Edo wedding would look different. And the traditional dishes someone might grow up eating in an Igbo household could look quite different from those filling the table in a Hausa household.
The immense diversity within Nigeria means that no one restaurant could possibly capture it all. And at Chuku's, we don't try to. Instead, we aim to offer you just a taste of that diversity and through our menu, events and online storytelling, we hope to encourage you to dive deeper. Because there's so much more to explore.
Photo by Samuel Adeleke on Unsplash
2. There's More to Nigerian Music Than Afrobeats
Now, don't get us wrong, we have nothing against Afrobeats. But long before Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tems were topping global charts, the Nigerian music scene was already fire.
There’s Afrobeat (yes, that’s different from Afrobeats), Highlife, Juju, Fuji and so much more. And whilst we are big Fela Kuti fans at Chuku’s, Nigeria's musical history doesn't begin and end with him either.
It's why we love sharing our playlists with you to showcase the breadth of Nigerian music. So if your musical knowledge starts and ends with today's biggest Nigerian artists, we've got you!
Check out one of our playlists and discover even more Nigerian sounds.
3. Lagos ≠ Nigeria
Lagos has a special place in our hearts. But Nigeria is a BIG country, and for all its energy, Lagos is just one part of it.
From the ancient cities of Kano and Benin City to Calabar's famous carnival, there's so much to discover outside of Lagos.
Whilst it's not possible for us to showcase it all, over the years we've tried to give a window into Nigeria beyond Lagos, from highlighting the regional origins of the dishes on our menu to hosting a Netflix watch party for Up North, a film that showcases the beauty of Northern Nigeria.
4. Nigerians Do Community
These days, everyone's talking about building community. But long before it became a buzzword, community was an integral part of Nigerian culture. Family goes beyond blood relatives and looking out for one another is part of everyday life.
Food is a key part of honouring that community spirit. Nigerians come together over food, and whoever's hosting wants to make sure you're well fed, even sending you back with Tupperware containers full of food. “Have you eaten?” is tantamount to “I care for you”.
That’s why community has been central to Chuku's from day one. Even back in our pop-up days, we hosted supperclubs, bringing people together over Nigerian food and encouraging strangers to get talking. Then lockdown happened, and because we couldn't bring everyone around the same table, we hosted virtual supperclubs instead.
Over the years, we've continued finding ways to encourage connection through food. From Ejikoro, our complimentary dining series bringing strangers together over dinner, to our Date Night Cards encouraging you to make time for the people you love.
Next time you’re in restaurant look out for the Hausa proverb hanging on our walls. It says “Yawa shi kan sa zarre ya ja duchi” which literally translates to “quantity makes the cotton draw a stone”. Because our Nigerian heritage taught us “unity is strength”.
5. Nigerians Take Names Seriously
In Nigeria, a name is rarely just a name. It can tell you something about someone's family, their faith, the circumstances of their birth or even their parents' hopes for them. There's often a whole story behind it.
Take Chuku's, for example. Our name comes from Chukwuemeka, an Igbo name meaning "God has done well". And when opening our Tottenham home, we honoured the tradition of naming ceremonies and held a naming ceremony for the restaurant.
And to celebrate the beauty in Nigerian names, our cutlery tins feature a Nigerian name and its meaning, so you can pick up a little Nigerian culture even before your food arrives.
6. Nigerian Literature Goes Beyond Chimamanda
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chinua Achebe are both great literary talents, but there's a whole world of Nigerian literature beyond these two names. And we've always wanted to help you discover more of it.
From Amos Tutuola's The Palm-Wine Drinkard and Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood to Damilare Kuku's Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, Nigerian writers have been telling extraordinary stories about identity, family, politics, relationships and everyday life for generations.
It's why we've always had a Nigerian bookshelf in our restaurant, even back in our pop-up days. It’s also why we launched Afrobeats & Lit, our book-swap-and-brunch event, bringing together good food, Nigerian music and a shared love of Nigerian literature.
So while your belly feasts on our Egusi Bowl, there's always something on our bookshelf to feed your mind too.
7. Nigerians Are A1 in Creativity
So we’ve talked music and literature but when it comes to Nigerian creative talent, we’re only getting started.
From film and visual art to fashion, photography and design, there's never a shortage of Nigerian individuals and projects to shout about.
In fact, every month when we're putting together our newsletter to share with you, we're spoilt for choice. Which new Nigerian film should we recommend? What art exhibition should we tell you about? Which creative deserves a little more attention? And how are we meant to fit it all into one email?
It's a tough job narrowing it all down, but someone's got to do it. Especially when it means bringing you your monthly Nigerian culture fix.
Ijoya by Sanjo Lawal
8. Nigerian Culture Never Stands Still
Over the years, we've occasionally been asked whether the food we serve at Chuku's is really Nigerian. After all, Plantain Waffles and Yam brownies aren't exactly what our grandparents were eating. And our Egusi Bowl…the controversy that has caused!
But Nigerian culture isn't frozen in time. And neither are we. We're not the same generation as our grandmothers and grandfathers. We grew up with different experiences, different influences and different ways of seeing the world. And the generations that come after us will be different again. But there's a thread that connects us, from the ingredients that fill our kitchens to the values we carry.
At Chuku's, we celebrate that thread while finding our own ways to express it. Nigerian culture has always been shaped by the people living it, and we're proudly part of that continuing story.
9. You Don't Have to Be Nigerian to Enjoy Nigerian Culture
You don't need Nigerian heritage to enjoy a Nollywood film. You don't need to speak one of Nigeria’s many languages to fall in love with a Nigerian song. And you definitely don't need to have grown up eating Jollof to know your life is infinitely better with it in it.
This is something we've believed since day one. Growing up, our sibling founders were taught to be proud of their Nigerian culture, and when they started Chuku's, they wanted to share that pride with others. To create a space where Nigerians felt excited to share their culture and non-Nigerians felt comfortable asking questions and discovering something new.
It's why you'll find “Welcome” written on our walls in Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. Because wherever you're coming from and however much you know about Nigerian culture, there's room for you at our table.
10. There's Always More to Discover About Nigerian Culture
After 10 years of sharing and celebrating Nigerian culture, we're still discovering new things ourselves.
From dishes we didn't grow up eating to traditions an aunty shares with us, it's been a decade of continual learning. And with hundreds of cultures, languages and traditions across Nigeria, how could we possibly run out of things to explore?
We've never claimed to know everything about Nigerian culture, and we never will. We're students of the culture, not experts. And everything we learn, we continue to share with you.
Want to experience a little more Nigerian culture for yourself? Come chop, chat, chill with us.
