Suya spice (yaji) substitutes

The real answer, since suya spice is a formula rather than a product: ¼ cup unsweetened defatted peanut powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 crushed bouillon cube, ½ teaspoon salt.

Best for

beef suya, chicken suya, grilled fish, roast vegetables, chips and popcorn

This tastes like suya spice because it contains the four things suya spice does: nutty savoury bulk from the peanut, clean heat from cayenne, aroma from ginger, garlic and onion, and salt plus umami from the bouillon. Toast the peanut powder dry in a pan for two minutes first to wake up the roasted note. Because there is fat in the peanut it will not keep forever; make small batches and store it in the fridge.

Crushed kuli-kuli, the West African fried groundnut snack, which is the traditional peanut component of yaji.

Best for

authentic suya, any yaji you are building from scratch

This is what most Nigerian cooks and suya sellers actually use, and it is why street suya tastes toastier and grittier than a version made with plain peanut powder. Crush it in a bag with a rolling pin or blitz it briefly, and stop before it turns to paste. It is oilier than defatted peanut powder, so the finished rub clumps a little; that is normal and it crusts better on the grill.

Defatted powdered peanut sold in supermarket health aisles, the easiest peanut source outside an African grocer.

Best for

homemade yaji, dry rubs, situations where you want the rub to stay loose and dusty

Finer and drier than kuli-kuli, and often slightly sweeter, which softens the savoury edge of the rub. Check the label for added sugar and salt and buy the plain version. Toasting it in a dry pan over medium heat for two minutes, until it smells nutty, closes most of the gap. Because it is defatted, the crust on the meat is thinner and less rich.

An Ethiopian berbere or similar hot, aromatic ground chili blend used as the spice half of an improvised yaji.

Best for

quick weeknight suya-style grilling, kebabs, roast chicken

Berbere shares yaji's ginger and chili backbone, which is why it works better than most shortcuts. It brings fenugreek, cardamom and often cinnamon, so the result is warmer, sweeter and more perfumed than suya, which is comparatively clean and ginger-sharp. Add an extra half teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon to pull it back toward suya, and add salt, since berbere blends vary.

A supermarket Cajun or Creole blend used as the seasoning base, since both are cayenne-led, salty and garlic-heavy.

Best for

grilled beef and chicken, when the only blend in the cupboard is Cajun

The heat, salt and garlic land in roughly the right place. What gives it away is the oregano, thyme and celery salt, which make the meat taste distinctly American-barbecue rather than Nigerian. Push it back with an extra teaspoon of ground ginger per two tablespoons. Cajun blends are already salty, so skip the added salt and the bouillon cube.

A no-peanut version for a peanut allergy or an empty cupboard.

Best for

peanut-free grilling, minimal-pantry cooking

Honestly, this tastes hot and savoury and reasonably West African, but it is missing the thing that makes suya suya. Without the nut there is no ground, roasted, slightly sweet bulk, and no nut protein and fat to catch on the grill, so the crust is thin instead of crumbly and browned. For a peanut allergy, substitute toasted ground sesame or ground toasted sunflower seed for the peanut at 1:1; sesame in particular gets you surprisingly close.