Growing up my two favorite dishes were all I would think about the minute the sun set down and the kitchen lights turned on. I knew it was time for my mother to serve up a quesadilla with jollof rice. A quesadilla is essentially a tortilla bread with cheese prepared with various spices and vegetables, while Jollof rice is a rice that’s made with tomatoes, tomato paste, and cooking oil served with fried plantains and chicken. The aroma of these dishes would make my mouth savor and my stomach rumble as the smell of the spices used in making this dish just complement each other! So, you can imagine it is to my surprise as these two dishes are from two different cultures, Mexican and Nigerian culture. Even though Nigerian and Mexican cultures are predominately two distinct cultures in the ways of Cuisine, music, and traditions they still hold many things similar.
Nigeria’s cuisine takes a new direction in cooking with frying and stewing is a very popular method of cooking. The ingredients used to prepare the exquisite cuisine are from all over the top shelf as many spices, herbs, vegetables are added to make one special dish. It can be said it is a long process to make Nigerian but agreed that it is well worth it in the end. Unlike Mexican food that is the total opposite as boiling and grilling are popular methods in the cuisine. Corn is a common ingredient used in dishes such as burrito’s and quesadillas.While a common ingredient in Nigerian style cooking is peppers, Nigerians have a vast use of peppers to create a more intense flavor in their dishes with the use of herbs to brighten these flavors creating a perfect harmony in their dishes.
Music is known as a way of expression, so it isn’t a surprise with the style of Mexican music being more traditional and inviting as in Mexican culture is very family oriented. Mexico’s style of music is very diverse and ranges across many genres . Mexican music predominately encompasses many styles of dance such as bachata, salsa and reggaeton due to the heavy use of string instruments in the music. The music is started with the sound of an instrument and the instrument dictates the tempo and genre of the music and brings meaning. Unlike Mexican culture , Nigerian culture uses beats to dictate the tempo and the vibe of the music . Afro beats are a very popular style of music with artificial beats and autotune is used a lot in a repetitive beat that goes from a medium tempo to fast tempo. Instruments such as rattles, drums and Xylophone are used in Afro music but sampled on a computer and manipulated to be interpreted in a different rather than Mexican music using the natural sounds of a guitar or ukulele.
Tradition is a thing many cultures have overlooked and don’t much importance but both cultures are persevering to be distinct from others. Nigerian traditions are very family oriented as such it is a tradition that every member of a family that has someone that will give birth to a child give names of the child. Another tradition occurs during marriages as the groom will not see his bride unveiled until after the marriage ceremony is over to preserve the beauty of there new marriage to be shared between them. In many parts of Nigeria is more than normal for a bride and grown to have three different weddings.” The first wedding is traditional, the second wedding is to be held in a court among family members and the third wedding is to be shared Infront of god in a church or a mosque depending on religion. The importance and reason for this is for a marriage to be looked as a legitimate the bond needs to be put in front of God, the law and tradition. “ Mexican tradition is not as sacred and is more focused on music and dance. Mariachi music is a very important tradition in fiestas as it brings excitement and joy as it is the most widely known form of music. Among Mexico’s many celebrations there are fiestas known as posadas which are held nine days leading up to Christmas eve. This tradition incorporates religion as “ the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem are reenacted by groups of friends and family.” It is a time where carols, candlelit processions and pinata rituals are enjoyed. Christmas is a festive time for Mexico in contrast from Nigeria. The key tradition that both cultures is remembrance for the dead but defrientiate as Mexican cultures.” Egungun is a tradition that comes with the belief that each person comes with two souls and that after death , the indri returns during the time of Egungun to dance and bless the community.” In Mexico , dia de los Muertos is are two days November 1st&2nd that’s about remembering and celebrating past family members with shrines built in the homes with specialty foods and music played all over the country. Education can be believed to be something important in all cultures, but for Nigerians education is a tradition that you go to school and become either a Doctor , Engineer or Lawyer depending on what your family consisted of and anything aside from those three careers is frowned upon. “ Your life is in your hands just be your definition of successful “ , Mexican cultures are concerned with individuality and being able to do something your happy with and feel that you are successful unlike Nigerian cultures where you often have your future decided for you and have no sense of individuality.
Family, music and beliefs are very important aspects of these cultures it can be said that these are the very foundations of these cultures. Commitment and sacred things are more important to Nigerian culture as you have a list of expectations from when you are young and your expected to be all about family. Mexican culture leaves you with individuality and letting you make your own choices in your life but at the end of the day coming back to your family. They both run on the foundations of there country’s history which cause them to be very different. They haven’t really come across each other but if both cultures were to their goals would be aligned as religion is a very big thing and impacts the way both countries think and handle their business. Both countries have a vague differentiation from the US who doesn’t value any of these values, so it is to be understood why superiority is felt when morally looking at the US. The future of these countries are held in the youth as they are ones held to change the world and bring Innovation and move them from a era that they are considered to be in decline in comparison to the world.
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Comparison of Mexican and Nigerian Culture.
(2022, September 15). Edubirdie. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/comparison-of-mexican-and-nigerian-culture/
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2022 Sept 15 [cited 2024 Apr 25].
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