The zeal and determination of Nigerians to make it in life have made many leave their tribe, home, country, and comfort zone or in this case, mix with people outside their tribe.
Well, this is a journey of an Igbo man who walked the path many his age and tribe will probably not have meddled with.
Felix Eden, a young passionate man, shares how he became a Suya chef and how he learnt from the originators of the snack, the Hausas.
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What to know about Suya
Suya is a Hausa snack; a traditionally smoked spiced meat skewer originating in the Nothern land.
The smoked meat is well enjoyed by all tribes; however, many Nigerians haven’t seen any other tribe aside from the Hausas prepare it.
Suya is a large part of the Northerner’s culture, and the Hausas would never reveal the secret to making it to anyone outside their tribe. However, Felix Eden, CEO of Felix Kitchen managed to learn from the originators themselves. In an interview with Battabox, Felix explained how he made it possible.
Who is Felix Eden?
Felix Eden is a young Nigerian man in his early 20s from the Igbo tribe. He lives in Anambra state and is a final-year student at the University of Uyo. He aspires to be a footballer who unfortunately failed to move out of the country to achieve his dreams, but he’s now making it through his business.
He is the first son of his family, and even with all odds against him, the young man has refused to give up on succeeding. Felix Kitchen is involved in Barbecue, Shawarma, all types of traditional food, and Suya.
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How it started
The CEO of Felix Kitchen, in a chat with Adedoyin Adebisi, shared how he got the idea of making Suya.
His father urged him to open up a restaurant before he got admission into the university, but instead of a restaurant, he decided to do Suya. At that time, Felix had zero knowledge about Suya, so he had to employ a Hausa man who he tried cajoling to teach him but to no avail.
However, the Hausa man eventually did the Suya right in front of him, so he got the basic knowledge from the man. “I told him I was going to open my own shop and all he has to do, is to manage it for me. He agreed and he started working for me.”
How I learnt Suya
When Felix got admission, intended to learn Suya making from one of the Hausa bosses in Uyo however, he was disappointed when the man told him they don’t teach outsiders how to make Suya. “When I heard the man’s statement I was discouraged, but I remembered that I already had that knowledge of how to do suya from the man I had employed back at home,” he said.
Although the man Felix employed back home tried as much as possible to hide the procedure from him, he started requesting Felix’s help while preparing the Suya.
“He told me he could not teach me but was going to to be coming to my shop to cook the suya himself, he told me that I can stay around but insisted I help him if I want to stay with him and I did. Although I don’t understand if he doesn’t know that the more I stay with him the more I learn how to prepare Suya.”
I lived with them, ate what they ate, prayed with them
However, Felix continued to visit the man at a place where Suya was prepared but was always instructed to sit outside while they prepared the Suya inside. “I spent a lot of time with the Hausa, I could remember then, I stay, play and joke with them until 12 or 1 am and sometimes I trek back to school where I get robbed while going back,” he said.
Felix eventually opened up to the Hausas about how often they rob him when he walked back home, and the northerners sympathized with him and suggested he lived with them, and he quickly agreed. He did everything they did without complaint so he would be taken as one of them.
“I stayed with the Hausa men, ate what they ate, I do what they do and go to prayer with them. I was just in the 100 level and lived with them for three years, I became part of them and through this, I learnt a lot of things about Suya.” After three years, he was satisfied with the knowledge he had gained and decided to be independent.
Challenges I faced
The man Felix employed back home decided to resign and he was left with no choice but to manage the business himself.
“After I got to Anambra, I started selling it myself but business was really bad at that time, nobody was patronizing me. Although my friends come and buy and my family try to support but it still wasn’t encouraging,” he said
He didn’t give up but learned other things like barbecue and shawarma. The Suya business thrived after a big man contracted him to make barbecue. He impressed the client, who called him the next day to do suya for him with four cows, and that was his first big breakthrough.
“When I did the Suya at the first batch, my client complained and I quickly adjusted and that was how I did my first ever big contract,” he said.
How it’s going
Meanwhile, some said he shouldn’t be doing Suya and should leave the business for the Hausas, but he tries as much as possible to convince them that this is how he has been able to help himself financially.
The CEO of Felix Kitchen has several outlets spread across different places and is still looking for funds because he plans to spread his culinary skills worldwide.
