The Legendary Kilishi

Ahh!  It’s the always delicious, mouth-watering, legendary kilishi. No matter how much you try to keep your beef-eating portion to the barest minimum, you may never seem to get enough of kilishi. This yummy jerky delight is surely a real blessing from the North. Kilishi goes well with almost any meal that comes to mind – be it rice, noodles, porridge, sauces – you name it; kilishi always complements them deliciously. 

What is Kilishi?

Kilishi is the Hausa name for dried Nigerian beef jerky that is made from cow, goat or sometimes horse meat. It’s just like a dried form of Suya and it’s produced from slabs of meat seasoned with salt, pepper and spices, smoked and dried. It’s sun-dried to preserve it for long-term storage. It is a Nigerian delicacy commonly eaten with pap (akamu), cassava flakes (garri), and other accompaniments.

Origin/History of Nigerian Kilishi

Kilishi is a word that has existed in our Nigerian vocabulary as far back as the days of our great grandparents. Most of us aren’t sure exactly where Kilishi originated from, but stories tell it came during the period of Jihad, when most cattle were moved to different areas for protection.  So creating dried meats became a convenient way to preserve food and not waste everything. Eventually, the recipes developed, and it introduced Kilishi in many parts of Nigeria and we all love it because Kilishi can be a yummy snack, main course or side dish all with different flavours and textures. 

What does Kilishi taste like?

What does Kilishi (Nigerian Meat Jerky) taste like? It’s tough to answer that question without tasting our sample packs in person, but seriously though, what we know is that there are many ways to describe Kilishi–flavorful, savoury, salty, crunchy–but we’re going with the closest description we have found: It tastes like meat.  So basically, it’s chewy, full-flavoured, and best of all, a very healthy snack.

Is Kilishi good for your health?

That moment when your grandma encourages you to eat kilishi so that you don’t fall sick. LOL. Kilishi is a healthy snack with a lot of health benefits. This is because it has 40% of the recommended amount of quality protein intake that’s natural enough for your diet. It also has a good amount of healthy vitamins and minerals that will keep you running smoothly all day long. The dried beef used to make kilishi is at its peak quality, which makes it easy to digest and improves your immunity! It’s a great option if you are looking for a healthy snack to represent the health benefits you get from the rest of your diet. So, ask yourself why do you need to eat fast food when your budget allows for healthy snacks like Kilishi, instead of those convenience store fast food meals? So, here are some of the listed health benefits of Kilishi provides for you: 1. Helps for weight loss Kilishi is a very popular weight-loss snack that’s very helpful for people who want to lose weight fast. First, the product does not increase your insulin level at all, which basically means it does not increase fat storage. And second, it does not cause you to gain any excess belly fat. Eating Kilishi in portion can be the best way to completely lose weight without dieting, exercising and starving yourself. So, if you are looking for how to lose weight, it’s important to know how to use Kilishi and understand what benefits it has for weight loss. Obviously, you cannot expect to lose weight just by snacking on Kilishi. The point is to include Kilishi in between your meals, which is ideal eating if you’re trying to lose weight. 2. It doesn’t give you fats Well, Kilishi doesn’t give you fats. It gives you energy! That’s much we can guarantee, because after you’ve finished 3 weeks of portion eating of our healthy Kilishi, you’ll understand that we stripped away the fat during the preparation and drying process. This leaves kilishi 95% fat-free and wholesome for healthy, wholesome eating. 3. Healthy for the heart and blood vessels Kilishi (Nigerian Meat Jerky) is one of the healthiest heart-friendly snacks in Nigeria. One of the ingredients used in the preparation of Kilishi is garlic. Garlic is very good for your heart. The anti-oxidant properties of Allicin (found in garlic) help to lower cholesterol levels. Kilishi is a dominant source of nutrients. Plus, it’s very easy to digest and improving blood circulation. It’s also a complete meal with protein and fiber content and Vitamin B which helps in the production of collagen that strengthens our immune system and parts of our body when damaged or weakened. 4. Good for Diabetics and low in carbs Kilishi is a keto-friendly Nigerian snack that has no carbs or sugar except for those few times when an “Aboki or Nyarinya””  adds a small amount of sugar. Like, if you want to eat healthier but don’t want to pay more for healthy food, try Kilishi.  

Nutritional facts of Kilishi

Servings: 1 Pkt        Calories 297  Total Fat 4 g          Saturated fat 0 g Polyunsaturated fat 0g   Monounsaturated fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg            Sodium 19 mg Potassium 0 mg             Total Carbohydrate 8 g          Sugar 0 g                 Protein 49 g

NOTE: When you are eating Kilishi, it’s important to drink lots of water, and to chew well. It can be hot, so don’t forget to drink juices or something else aside from water as well. It’s also very tasty served with yoghurt, smoothies or fruit shakes.

How do you make Kilishi?

If you want to make your own kilishi at home and don’t know where to start from, here are the ingredients you’ll need to start making your own Nigerian beef jerky (Kilishi): Ingredients:

• 1 kg of fresh lean beef, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp ground Ginger
• Cloves (6 whole or ½ Tsp ground)
• 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
• Fresh garlic cloves (alternate with ground garlic)
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• ½ Tsp Ground African nutmeg (optional)
• 1 Tbsp Ground Red Pepper (Paprika)
• 1 Tbsp Ground Chilli pepper
• 1 Tbsp Suya Spices
• 1 Tbsp Groundnut powder
• 2 Seasoning cubes/ ½ Tsp powder
• A pinch of salt

 

 Preparation method:

First you must wash your meat, then cut off the bones and wash them again. Take out the fat and discard it. Pour boiling water through a sieve into a pot, add salt and stir until the meat is tender. Then place into your oven or dehydrator machine. If you’re using an oven, make sure it’s pre-heated at 200 – 220°C for about 15-20 minutes. Ensure to flip each side of the meat cuts intermittently for proper drying. While the beef grills in the oven, put all other ingredients that you need for Kilishi (Nigerian Meat Jerky) into a blender or mortar. Grind all the fresh spices together first then combine thoroughly with the dry ones. When the meat is nearly ground up, carefully marinate beef slices by dipping them into the bowl of spices.  Leave to soak for about 30 minutes before returning to the grilling rack/tray. Spread them out properly and grill once more in the oven but for just about 15 minutes this time. Now your Kilishi is ready. It’s time to enjoy it!

What can I eat with Kilishi?

Well, mostly Kilishi is eaten alone as a single snack. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try Kilishi with other meals. You can eat Kilishi with jollof, white or fried rice. If you’re looking for that spicy feeling for your rice, then Kilishi is your best match for the moment. You can also eat Kilishi with cassava flakes (garri). Garri and Kilishi is the first love for most Kilishi lovers. But be careful though, make sure you know the source of your garri and control how much you consume. Finally, you can eat Kilishi with healthy instant shakes, smoothies, parfait and fruit drinks to balance the delicious crunchy delight. And that’s of course after you have taken enough water. Because Kilishi is spicy, you need to prepare for the battle of thirst! Well, there may be other really crazy combos we just haven’t heard of yet. But who can tell, right? Maybe you try your Kilishi with a special dish and let us know how it works out for you.

Where can I get Kilishi?

Get your healthy Kilishi (Nigerian Meat Jerky) from Green Baskit. We are Nigeria’s No.1 Most Healthy Snack store online and your go-to brand if you really want to eat clean, healthy and delicious Kilishi in Lagos and Nigeria generally. We sell Kilishi in wholesales too. We recommend our wholesale prices for individuals hosting or organizing events and ceremonies, for offices, and finally to the real wholesalers who buy and sell Kilishi in bulk.  First things first, as a Nigerian brand, our Kilishi represents “the original” taste. We focus on maintaining the standards our customers have come to love since we started making healthy delicious Kilishi. We use only 100% real beef for our jerky and also ensure that all of our meat is sourced locally, and hygienically processed, stored and packaged to delight your taste buds.

How do I store Kilishi and how long does it last?

Store Kilishi in a cool dry place. Don’t expose it to adverse heat or cold. Because of the dehydrated nature of Kilishi, when storing it, keep it in a completely sealed container to protect it from moisture.  The shelf life for ourKilishi is usually up to 8 months (and above). Kilishi is doing well with the Nigerian market as a yummy snack for people on the go or long-term travelers. We like the fact that Kilishi has no additives, so we all just stick with the seasoning guides included or use our own favorite spice blend to create the dream Kilishi we want. The smell of Kilishi is unlike any meat smell you have ever encountered, and the sweetness is just…there. Can you totally relate or you haven’t even eaten Kilishi yet? Come right in now and place your order for delicious, healthy Kilishi.