Dooney's Kitchen

Promoting and Redefining New Nigerian Food

Dooney's Favourites Drinks, Smoothies and Cocktails Healthy Nigerian

Ugu Smoothie

This post is a Business 101 class, so take notes. Lol. I had an idea I wanted to run by a friend a few weeks ago. The conversation naturally drifted to food. This friend and I are huge foodies, so it was expected. Anyways, I sent her links of the new juices/smoothies bar popping up all over Nigeria, and one thing I loooooove about this friend of mine is her bluntness. It may rankle sometimes when you are the receiving end, but once you get to understand that, it isn’t personal, that is just her personality, you take it in stride. The first thing she said was Dunni, I am not impressed. I laughed and said why. Her response was – of all the lovely natural fruits in Nigeria, why on earth do we have strawberry smoothies, blueberry that and kiwi this. Well, I said the world is more cosmopolitan now, and the Nigerian palate is evolving. A good chunk of the fruits in British supermarkets are imported. We were not speaking face to face, but it wouldn’t have been far-fetched to imagine her rolling her eyes. Her counter argument – importation of fruits is due to the historical circumstance of this country doing trade with many countries, the slave trade era, and bringing back foods from conquered nations, besides the British farming industry cannot grow the volume needed to feed the population. Nigeria doesn’t have that problem. She went on about how we are always too eager to throw away what we have to the detriment of something foreign even when it will cost more. I said to her, to run a successful business, catering to people of a certain social class:

  1. You have to tap into their Ego. It is why Apple is the most successful brand in the world today. It is why even in the recession, luxury brands are doing very well. Tap into the Ego of a consumer and you have a lifetime access to their Wallet. I would know, Apple and Canon, can tap into my bank account, anytime. Teehee. 
  2. The smoothie/juice bar industry, is the forte of the rich/upper middle class. They are well-travelled, well-educated, a good number of them are expatriates, “I just got backs” and returnees, so they would want to enjoy things they previously could only get outside the country – it is the major reason why the wedding industry has exploded today. 

Oh, she chipped in and said it was still possible, it all depends on packaging and marketing. I said to her that all over the world, it is the rich that influence culture and change. Cast your mind back to the scene in The Devil Wears Prada where Anne Hathaway’s character laughed about the colour of a belt. To her non fashion mind, they all looked blue, but Meryl’s character explained how a luxury fashion house (can’t remember the name now) premiered a shade of blue during fashion week and it spiralled down the fashion chain to the cheap blue sweater, Anne’s character was wearing. The rich influence change, and it trickles down to the masses, because everyone wants to be them, have what they have, emulate their lifestyle, be it fashion, music, food, they call the shots, and if you want to serve them, you do what they want. 

  • Unfortunately, and I use that word lightly, those who went into the business of catering to the rich, quickly realised that they would want all things foreign, and capitalised on it. Business and Patriotism have never been in bed together. Enter Western companies who outsourced to India and China. The bottom line rules at the end of the day

Oh she didn’t agree. I said to her, it is how it is. It is how the world works. If you go into business marketing pure Nigerian smoothies/juice, it would go belly up very fast. She said but Dunni, you are living proof that Nigerian ingredients ROCK!!!!, and my response was, it is a passion not driven by business. If I started Dooney’s Kitchen as a business, who knows, I probably would have succumbed to the rules of the money god. Which is why I am eternally grateful for The Grace to be able to do this for the joy of doing it. Not worrying about money has helped me flourish. My mind is unencumbered and it makes me more creative. I have spent a small fortune on photography gear in the past few weeks. The kind that if I was running this as a business, I would have paused, but I need to grow photography wise, and they don’t come cheap. The next target now is how to turn that creativity into profit, backed by the zeal to educate people, that it can be done. 30 years from now, if we are not careful our grandchildren would think strawberries grow in Nigeria. The way British kids think mangoes are native to Great Britain. You would be shocked how many kids in the UK think Satay Chicken and Curry’s are native to Britain. 

  • The Marketing psychology of value. I learnt that from Uncle Joko, on my last trip home. People pay for an item based on its perceived value. Imported fruits are expensive, so if you charge lets say 3 thousand Naira for a cup of smoothies, people have a perceived value of its contents and would pay up. Now, try charging 3K for a cup of smoothies made with Nigerian ingredients, and your clients would go, “for what”. Your running costs (and we all know how high those are in Nigeria), are the same, whether you use foreign or local ingredients, the same process to make the smoothies, but to charge more, your products have to have a higher perceived value.

Then she said, sooooooo, what is the way forward? how can we ensure that what makes us, doesn’t disappear on the altar of foreign capitalism. I said to her, that it won’t because unless some major economic overhaul happens, the rich and middle class will always be a minority, so our fruits and veg are going nowhere. Besides, people like me will always be there making sure that it won’t. We are cooking differently, we have a word or two for those who doggedly insist on the traditional way, we can’t then turn around in the same breath and wonder what strawberries are doing in local smoothie and juice bars. Change is like a ball rolling down a hill, you can’t pick and choose which things attach to it as it moves. 

I was making Edikang Ikong last weekend and I had some leftover Ugu. As I was putting it away, I came across my frozen pineapple chunks in the freezer, and I suddenly remembered the conversation from weeks ago. I needed one more thing to complete it. I didn’t want to use Yoghurt or Ice cream – we are trying to be healthy, then I remembered that I had Tigernut milk in the freezer courtesy Labake. …..and that people is how my true Nigerian smoothie was born. Yum, Yum, Yums, considering I am supposed to hate Green smoothies. This was awesome raised to the power of 100. Over the course of the next few months, I would be releasing a couple more Nigerian smoothie recipes. We need more of them. We are a nation of a bucketload of fruits. Before you go paying 3k for a teeny tiny cup of smoothie, just head to your local market and let the sight and sounds inspire you. 

You will need

Chopped Ugu leaves

Your choice of fruit – banana, pineapple, oranges……go to town with Nigerian fruits

Non Dairy milk – soy milk, coconut milk, Tiger nut milk

How To

As with a smoothie – chuck it all in a blender and whizz. I wanted it to be rich and creamy, so I did not add water. Here, you have Ugu leaves, banana and orange juice

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whizz in a blender or smoothie maker till smooth. If you want it really cold, blend with ice cubes

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…………………..here you go. Peep into the jar, and be amazed at how pretty it looks, and how deliciously healthy it is. The creaminess from the banana and the yellow of the orange juice, produced a stunning smoothie. It tastes quite nice too, I promise you

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 Another flavour combination – Ugu, pineapple and Tigernut milk – Kunu aya. This is dark, and rich and naturally sweetened. Very nutritious. 

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Now, let’s play a game of, how much would you be willing to pay for a Nigerian Smoothie –

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if it is packaged like this – be honest now

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 Stay tuned for more Ugu combinations, smoothies and more.

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 I will also be experimenting with other Nigerian Veggies

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Disclaimer: this post was not written to offend anyone in the juice/smoothie bar business in Nigeria.


31 Comments

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FILED UNDER: Dooney's Favourites, Drinks, Smoothies and Cocktails, Healthy Nigerian
TAGGED WITH: fruits and vegetables, Nigerian smoothie, Ugu, Ugu smoothie

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Comments

  2. Hmmmmm……Dunni this is a great write-up and I agree wholeheartedly with your friend…everyone is into the foreign fruits smoothies and juices and i keep asking myself why, when we have all these lovely fruits here…Can you imagine a guava, banana and pineapple smoothie?? Sounds yum! Just thinking about it i’m inspired.

    I usually try to avoid buying smoothies generally and if i do, i rarely ever pay more than 2000naira at the most. Call me Ijebu (which I’m not…I’m Igbo but i think its pure exploitation cos even if i buy each of those fruits, i would get more than a 75cl-150cl Eva bottle filled with the smoothie.

    However, I realise that the smoothie-making outfit is providing a service as i dont have to wash, clean, cut and de-seed all those fruits myself. This is probably why I would probably be willing to pay about 1000-1500 naira for a ‘Naija Smoothie’….cos though the fruits may be cheaper and more accessible, they are still perishable, require preparation and all that and not everyone has the time to do all that. Sorry for the epistle….just my 2 kobo.

    P.S. If i may suggest, maybe you could try the next variants with less or no Ugu and maybe zobo as the liquid, just for a different colour. If i try some, maybe i could send some pictures.

    Reply

    • Your head is right on the money Blue. Guava, banana and Pineapple – i just fainted. That would be AMAZIIIIIIIIING. Yes I will try more variants. I am starting with Ugu first and working my way through as many combinations as possible. Thanks

      Reply

  3. Wow, I luv this Post. Started a Smoothie regimen for breakfast. tried Spinach but didnt like the taste, so I usually add Moringa powder to my fruits and blend. unny dat i’ve been wondering if i can blend Ugu leaves and drink dem raw in a Smoothie. Thanks a Million

    Reply

  4. Lol! Right on Dunni! Its this whole thing about perception! To be honest, if you told me it was ugu, i’ll pay 500 naira a cup but call the same thing an exotic type of pumpkin leaves, that would have me paying 1000 naira a cup! Lol! I dont think i’ll ever be able to pay more than 1000 naira for a glass of smoothie! Kilode??? Lol!

    Reply

    • Looooooool, as Blue said, whether local or foreign, fruits are still perishable. So, support home grown and pay up. Lol. Most smoothie bars charge more than 1000 naira per cup

      Reply

      • Lol! I totally love and support homegrown! I am away from home and still long for all things naija and buy fruits and veg that i would buy if i was in Nigeria but I guess its the sound of the “ugu” as against “exotic pumpkin leaves” and “zobo” as against “Roselle”! Local names versus foreign names! Loool! We’ve got to make it sound delish! I blame it all on the English language. Lol! That bluey’s pineapple, banana, guava combo is making my mouth water! Lol!

        Reply

        • You know, it is about packaging and fancy nomenclature. If I ever set my eyes on Guava, I am so going to try that.

          Reply

  5. Nice. I love it! Right now am making a smoothie of ugu, spinach(d one they call green in Nigeria), parsley, green pepper, cucumber and apple. Its said to work magic for weight loss if taken last thing at night and first thing in the morning. Its healthy and it tastes nice too. Dooney really looking forward to your smoothie series!! Good job!

    Reply

  6. Lol at your disclaimer. They would rather be monitoring user responses so they can begin selling using your recipes. hian.
    Love the idea.
    I would definitely pay more than 1000 naira for a “reasonable” quantity of “Naija smoothie”.

    Reply

    • My dear, your head is there. It did occur to me o, I trust my people. I will have to re-think how many smoothie recipes I would release, because trust me, I know they are monitoring this blog closely. Lol

      Reply

  8. Haven’t visited your blog in a while….I think the nija inspired smoothie isn’t bad,I recently travelled to my maternal village and discovered nija had its own version of Olives!!!!!! I was really happy to try it and thought,who would have known?? Anyways,In this part of nija where I live,Smoothies go for #700-#1,000 and frankly I wouldn’t exceed that price for any smoothie.

    Not a fan of Ugwu smoothie though,maybe because i took it as medication when my mum thought I was too skinny and neede to add more flesh&blood (ugwu&peakmilk). The taste alone is a story for another day.

    Reply

  9. I tried ugwu and pineapple today and i loved it. Thanx dooney. Pls how do i get d milk out of tiger nuts? I have some at home.

    Reply

  10. I belong to several health groups on social media and one common theme I hear from people in naija is that I am healthy because I live in obodo oyinbo. If people know how I would kill to lay my hands on some fresh ugu. I can’t stomach spinach so I substitute with kale which is similar to ugu. It is amazing what you can do with celery,cucumber, cilantro, ginger, watermelon, pawpaw, lime, beets, avocado, groundnuts/nut butter etc. the combination is endless.. I have even added some jalepeno to my drinks before. Not to even talk of the various abundant vegetables you can use for a salad.. it is the creativity that is lacking.. I think… Throw in some ginger to your smoothie recipe and tell me what you think. Thank you for sharing your ideas as always.

    Reply

  11. Dunni… out of all you wrote, all i saw was you dont have to pay 3k for a teeny weeny cup of smoothie… lol. That being said, i jumped unto the smoothie band last month i think and i’ve never looked back. so far the one i made two days back was da bomb.. just pawpaw/papaya. 1 banana, water and half cup of low fat milk… whilst sipping it the thoughts running through my mind was, ”where have you been all my life”.. me i cannot pay 3k for what i can make myself as a DIY freak. i should try this your own very soon… meanwhile the Egusi ijebu is till on my mind oooo

    Reply

  13. There’s one company I admire and it’s Oh So Nutrition. They focus on using local ingredients for their smoothies, alternative milks and snacks as much as possible. They have an ugulicious smoothie, use paw paw and other local ingredients with wreckless abandon. I love what they are doing with Nigerian ingredients and it seems they are doing well. From what I’ve seen.

    Reply

  14. Dunni tx for this eye opener i always take carrot and cucumber blended with lime since am watching my weight, adding ugwu smoothie is not a bad idea but i wont put banana. I will go for ugwu, pineapple and tigernut it sounds better. Thanks

    Reply

  15. I just came across this and would love to tryit. I know tiger nut but how do I process it into milk. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  16. On getting my last trimester blood test result my gynae was mad that my PCV had dropped drastically. Yeah, cos I stopped taking my routine drugs. Anyways, he has threatened not to deliver me with my low blood count except i do something about it. His fastest suggested remedy is for me to eat or drink raw ugu daily for the next 2 weeks. I was like how now, I’ve been staring at the ugu I bought for the last 4 days and been wondering how exactly to start????
    After much thought, I decided to check if Dooney had a way out and voila!!
    I’m definitely trying this out tomorrow. My dad suggested Ugu, maltina and milk but I think I would prefer d fruits instead.
    Thanks Dooney! You’re the best!

    Reply

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Dooney’s Favourites

Nigerian food, is bold, multi faceted, rich, colourful, spicy and with varied nuances, as you move from tribe to tribe. To describe Nigerian cooking, one would say it is fiercely traditional and somewhat dogmatic, but Dooney’s Kitchen proposes to simplify methods and steps that have been passed from generation to generation whilst also challenging some of these methods using Technology. The New Nigerian Cookery isn’t just about creating a New Nigerian Kitchen, or should we say a more technology aware Nigerian cooking experience, but it encompasses redefining recipes too. Come along on the journey, and welcome to one of the best online resources for Nigerian food.