Suya Spice: What Is in Yaji and How to Make It
Yaji is the dry, hot, nutty spice that makes suya taste like suya. This page explains what it is and what it is called, what goes into it, why peanut is the one ingredient it cannot do without, and how to mix a simple batch at home. It also covers how hot it is, what else it suits, where to buy it and how to keep it, with the sources listed at the bottom.
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What is yaji?
Yaji is the spice blend rubbed on suya before it is grilled and sprinkled over it when it is served. It is dry, hot and nutty: ground peanut or kuli-kuli, chilli, ginger, garlic, onion and salt, mixed to each cook's taste. There is no single standard recipe, so every stall's yaji is a little different.
Wikipedia's article on suya compares yaji to curry in that respect: the ingredients vary with personal and regional preference. Saveur, reporting from Lagos, found the same: the exact mix changes from vendor to vendor, but it is always built on ground peanuts, ginger and chillies.
Yaji does two jobs. Rubbed onto the raw slices with a little groundnut oil, it becomes the coat that chars on the grill. Sprinkled on again at the end, or served on the side, it adds a fresh, nutty layer of heat.
Is suya pepper the same as yaji?
Yes. Suya pepper, yaji pepper, yaji spice and suya seasoning are all names for the same blend, and the Nigerian food writer Abi Olayiwola lists them side by side. Saveur calls it "yaji, or suya spice". Which name you hear depends on who is selling it and where, not on a different recipe.
Wikipedia uses yet another form, the yaji pepper mix, for the helping served with the meat. Whatever the label says, check what is in the jar: the parts and the heat vary more between makers than the names do.
Yaji and yajin kuli
Some cooks split the name in two. Ozoz Sokoh, writing for Serious Eats, uses yaji for the blend of chillies, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and other spices, and yajin kuli for that blend once it is mixed with ground kuli-kuli. On a suya stall, and on most jars, the single word yaji covers both.
What are the suya spice ingredients?
The base is peanut, as roasted peanuts, kuli-kuli or peanut powder. Around it go chilli or cayenne for heat, ground ginger, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Many cooks add grains of selim for a smoky note; modern versions often use paprika for colour, and some add cloves. Amounts change from cook to cook.
The list follows Abi Olayiwola's two versions on Eat Well Abi, a traditional one with kuli-kuli and grains of selim and a modern one with peanut powder, paprika and cloves, and the usual parts Wikipedia names: hot dried chillies, ginger, dried onion, kuli-kuli and salt.
| Ingredient | What it does | Must it be there? |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut: kuli-kuli, roasted peanuts or peanut powder | The nutty body that holds the rest and toasts on the grill | Yes: the one ingredient yaji cannot do without |
| Chilli or cayenne | The heat | Yes, though the amount is up to you |
| Ground ginger | Warmth and a sharp edge | Usual |
| Garlic powder | Savoury depth | Usual |
| Onion powder or dried onion | Savoury depth and sweetness | Usual |
| Salt | Seasons the meat through the coat | Usual |
| Grains of selim | A smoky, slightly bitter note | Common in traditional blends |
| Paprika | Colour and mild sweetness | Common in modern blends |
| Cloves | A warm, sweet spice note | Sometimes |
What is kuli-kuli, and why does yaji need it?
Kuli-kuli is a crunchy snack made from roasted peanuts ground to a paste, pressed until the oil runs out, then shaped and fried. Ground fine, it gives yaji its nutty body without the oil of fresh peanuts, so the spice stays dry, keeps well and clings to the meat instead of turning to paste.
Serious Eats describes the process: roasted groundnuts are ground almost to a butter, kneaded with water until the oil comes out, then shaped and deep-fried, which lets the pieces keep at room temperature. Ozoz Sokoh calls kuli-kuli essentially dehydrated and defatted groundnut paste.
Abi Olayiwola's rule is simple: yaji must have peanut, whether as whole peanuts, kuli-kuli or peanut powder. Outside Nigeria, kuli-kuli and grains of selim are sometimes sold in African food shops; peanut powder is the easiest stand-in to find.
What is a simple yaji spice recipe?
Grind 60 g of roasted unsalted peanuts or kuli-kuli until fine and sandy, then stir in 10 g paprika, 8 g ground ginger, 8 g onion powder, 4 g garlic powder, 3 g chilli powder and 6 g salt. It makes about 100 g, enough for 800 g of beef with some left to serve.
These are our own home amounts, the same ones our suya recipe page (/suya-recipe/) uses for four people. They are a starting point, not a standard: make it again with more ginger, less salt or more heat until it tastes the way you like.
Grind the peanuts
Pulse 60 g of roasted unsalted peanuts, or broken kuli-kuli, in a spice grinder or food processor in short bursts until fine and sandy. Stop before it turns into paste: ground too long, peanuts release their oil and the spice clumps.
Or toast peanut powder
If you can find neither, use 60 g of peanut powder. Toast it in a dry pan over low heat, stirring, until it turns from beige to light brown, then let it cool completely.
Mix in the spices
Stir in 10 g paprika, 8 g ground ginger, 8 g onion powder, 4 g garlic powder, 3 g chilli powder or cayenne and 6 g fine salt, until the colour is even.
Taste and adjust
Taste a pinch. Add chilli a little at a time for more heat, or a pinch of ground black pepper if you have no grains of selim and want a sharper note.
Store it dry
Spoon it into a clean, dry, airtight jar. Use a dry spoon every time, and set aside about a quarter for serving before you start on raw meat.
How hot is yaji?
Usually hot. Saveur calls yaji "blisteringly hot", and Abi Olayiwola says it is traditionally spicy. But the heat comes almost all from the chilli, so it is the easiest part to change: halve the chilli for a mild blend, or keep the meat mild and serve the hot spice on the side.
At a stall the same choice is made by asking. Say how much pepper you want before the seller wraps your order, or ask for the extra yaji on the side so you can add it yourself.
What else can you use yaji on?
Almost anything that likes a nutty, smoky heat. Serious Eats says its rub works with chicken, fish and even some vegetables. Abi Olayiwola mixes it into eggs, sprinkles it on fried plantain and roasted potatoes, and adds it to wraps, stir-fries and salads. Treat it like any spice blend and start with a little.
- Chicken: rub sliced thighs exactly as you would beef, and cook them all the way through.
- Fish: a light coat on firm white fish or prawns before a hot grill.
- Vegetables: toss mushrooms, peppers or onions in oil and yaji, then roast or grill them.
- Eggs and plantain: a pinch over scrambled eggs or fried plantain.
- As a dip: mixed with a little oil, as a dip for bread or raw vegetables.
Where can you buy yaji, and how long does it keep?
Ready-made yaji is sold under any of its names; outside Nigeria, look in African food shops and online. Kept in a clean, dry, airtight jar, it lasts for months: Serious Eats says its blend keeps up to six months in the fridge or freezer. Always use a dry spoon.
Bought yaji varies as much as homemade. Taste it before you use a lot, and read the label: some blends are saltier than others, so you may want less salt on the meat.
Peanut is in the spice itself, so yaji is not safe for anyone with a peanut allergy, and a shared jar or spoon can carry it to other food. A blend made without peanuts can taste good, but it is not traditional yaji.
How does yaji work in the Mai Suya game?
In Mai Suya, yaji is a topping you buy each morning, at 20 naira a portion, beside onion, tomato and cabbage. Each customer asks for their own heat: no pepper, regular or extra, and some want an extra portion on top. Match it or the order is wrong. After a Harmattan night, yaji costs more the next morning.
It is a game, not a cooking lesson, but the rhythm is the same as at a real stall: the meat goes on the coals, comes off at the right moment and gets its spice before it is wrapped. Play a night in your browser, or read the menu to see every meat and topping in the game.
Frequently asked questions
Does yaji contain peanuts?
Yes, traditionally. Peanut, as kuli-kuli, roasted peanuts or peanut powder, is the base of yaji, so it is not safe for anyone with a peanut allergy. A version made with toasted seeds instead can taste good, but it is not traditional yaji, and it is only safe if nothing it touches has touched peanuts.
What can I use instead of grains of selim?
Ground black pepper: Serious Eats uses it in place of grains of selim, grains of paradise or cubeb pepper. You lose the smoky note, so a little smoked paprika helps. Leaving them out is fine too: many modern blends do.
Is yaji the same as kuli-kuli?
No. Kuli-kuli is a fried peanut snack, ground into the spice as its base. Yaji is the whole blend: kuli-kuli or peanuts plus chilli, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and whatever else the cook adds.
Can I make yaji without a grinder?
Yes. Use peanut powder toasted in a dry pan, and stir in ground spices. A rolling pin and a sealed bag will crush kuli-kuli or roasted peanuts finely enough too; sieve out the large pieces and crush them again.
Where these facts come from
- How to Make Suya Spice at Home, Eat Well Abi (Abi Olayiwola), 2022-05-09 (checked 2026-10-08)
- Nigerian Beef Suya (Spiced Grilled Skewers) Recipe, Serious Eats (Ozoz Sokoh), 2023-03-24 (checked 2026-10-08)
- Friday Nights in Lagos Are For Fiery Grilled Suya, Saveur (Torinmo Salau), 2019-01-31 (checked 2026-10-08)
- Suya, Wikipedia, 2026-10-07 (checked 2026-10-08)