Chin Chin

Chin chin is a much loved West African pastry that serves as a snack, dessert, or "street food". Chin chin holds a special place in the hearts and stomachs of West Africans, as I have seen by the amount of searches and discussion it generates. There are about as many recipes for chin chin as there are ethnic groups in Nigeria - a lot! The ingredients and variations are endless.


Some of you like the hard, crunchy type, others swear by a softer, lighter recipe. You might season your chin chin with oranges and cinnamon, or with nutmeg, or just enjoy the plain buttery flavour. Common ground is that this is a pastry of flour, eggs, milk, butter, salt and sugar. It might have baking soda, but if you like the hard and crunchy type you should leave that out. It is deep fried in oil, a step that seems to be unnegotiable. Suggestions of baking it for less calories invite scoffing.


Shaping is also an issue. The no-frills shape is simply to cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and fry it. The fancier and authentic method is poking a hole in the dough and pulling one end through, to form a knot. This is easy and fast once you get the hang of it, and much more fun to serve. Here is my recipe, for what it's worth, and I hope it is what you have been looking for.