Ms Emmanuelle Blatmann, the departing Ambassador of France to Nigeria, shared her amusing experience with Nigerian pepper soup, expressing her relief at bidding farewell to its intense spiciness.
As she addressed journalists in anticipation of her departure, Blatmann, who is set to assume the role of director for Africa in Paris, candidly admitted that while she would miss Nigeria’s weather, people, music, and various other foods, pepper soup wouldn’t make the cut.
In her own words:
“To be very honest and blunt, I will not miss the pepper soup because it’s too peppery. You people tried to kill me several times. I will be eating all sorts of things with my eyes red and crying, I have smoke coming out of my ears. I am exaggerating, but honestly, why do you put so much pepper? In the North, it’s better but in the South West, my God!
“But I like the jollof rice, I like the moimoi and the puff-puff. I will miss the climate, I will miss the love of the people, I will miss the sense of humour, the laughter, the music, the dancing, I dance a lot, I will miss a lot.”
Blatmann’s playful take on the Nigerian culinary staple, pepper soup, adds a touch of humor to her farewell reflections. Her honest and humorous recounting of the challenges posed by the local cuisine creates a light-hearted contrast to the more formal aspects of diplomatic discourse.
While acknowledging the diverse and rich culinary landscape of Nigeria, she amusingly highlights her preference for less spicy dishes, emphasizing the variety of other foods she enjoyed during her tenure. The juxtaposition of her spice struggles and appreciation for the country’s cultural elements paints a vivid picture of her diplomatic journey in Nigeria. As she bids adieu, her words resonate not only with diplomatic grace but also with a shared sense of laughter and understanding across borders.
