A Meal Is a Meal

by Nnamdi Anyadu

A Meal Is a Meal is a gothic collection of food-themed stories that comment on the human condition. In the titular story, a young woman lures and kills a love interest in order to host her cannibalistic family to a meal. In “Potluck Jollof”, a caterer is offended by her sisterhood’s depreciation of her culinary craft. She takes her revenge on them, sabotaging their potluck by serving jollof rice concocted in less than hygienic means. Highlighting the varied myths, beliefs, superstitions and notions that surround the Nigerian culinary culture, A Meal Is a Meal is a journey into the surprising and the bizarre, as well as the tantalising and the delicious.

“A Meal Is a Meal is a meal indeed. It’s a delicious serving of both grounded and transcendental stories that will leave you hungry for more.” —Erhu Kome, author, The Smoke That Thunders

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2025

Reviews

[Auggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into A Meal Is a Meal knowing almost nothing about it, and I think that was the right way to read it.

Nnamdi has written a gothic collection of food-themed short stories that use the Nigerian culinary world as a vehicle for something much darker — desire, grief, punishment, obsession, and the strange intimacy that surrounds the act of eating. The food is never just food. It is always a mirror pointed at something else.

I was drawn in after the first story and could not stop.

Two stories in particular have stayed with me:

Cheers is my favourite in the collection and The Recipe for Comfort.

The rest of the stories are just as inventive with some darkly comic, some genuinely unsettling, all of them rooted in a specificity that feels alive.

Recommended for fans of gothic short fiction, Nigerian literature, and stories that make you see the ordinary world as slightly more sinister than you left it.

[Tofunmi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book while eating yam and eggs - one of my favourite Nigerian foods - and I cannot think of a more fitting way to have read it.

A Meal Is a Meal is Nnamdi Anyadu's debut short story collection: twelve gothic, food-themed stories that explore the varied myths, beliefs, superstitions, and notions surrounding food in Nigerian culture e.g. putting substances in food to win love, eating forbidden things and facing the consequences, food as community, food as weapon, food as something far darker than nourishment. The stories span dark comedy, folklore and the gothic.

The titular story is my favourite, and once you read it, the title takes on a whole new meaning. It's about a serial killer who lures a love interest to feed her cannibalistic family. It is wonderfully dark and sneaks up on you, you don't know what you're reading until the end.

It is a quick read at just over 130 pages and I highly recommended.

[Chalbyen Faith Godwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves African stories.

A meal is a meal, is a collection of 10 interesting stories connected to some of our favorite Nigerian dishes. Reading it felt like stepping into different corners of Nigerian life and culture. Some stories read like something straight off a Nigerian true crime blog, while others felt like listening to someone gist you about deeply superstitious family stories. There was even one about a pregnant woman being instructed by her mother’s prophet to do Sa’ara so her unborn child would survive till birth… hian, that one shock me small o 😭

The book also carries some of the folktales many of us grew up hearing from our parents and elders, stories passed down through generations.

Overall, the pacing was really good. The energy stayed consistent from beginning to end, and I genuinely loved the writer’s storytelling style.

[Blessing Ugwu-John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An collection of 10 interesting short stories set in Nigeria, some of which are retellings of traditional folklore and all of which incorporate some type of food and an exposition of certain belief systems obtainable in the country.

I really liked that the stories were fast paced, easy to follow and funny. Some of the stories were so dark that I questioned the justification for the behavior of some of the characters or the inspiration behind their existence. Others were reflective in ways that I appreciated and the rest entertained me.

My favorite stories were Cheers, The Porridge Strategy, Suppers at Slumber and The Recipe for Comfort
.

[Oyin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soo well written! I really enjoyed the titular story, potluck jollof, the porridge strategy, Saara, love potion and forbidden meat. I didn’t really understand Cheers! Battle for akara was funny.

I particularly enjoyed forbidden meat because it reminded me of a practice in the east I just learnt about, regarding pythons (Eke) and how they are revered and protected.

This book really is a feast of stories - a meal is not always just a meal. Many times, it is more.

[Pendo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled reading this one... some stories left me hanging, like "where was he going with this one?" some endings left me baffled. Loved the title and the a meal is a meal story, that was a short page turner...

[Paulette E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection of short stories were jaw dropping and funny. Some made me gag and want to fight, others; the food was the highlight.

Very conversational writing with slangs only Nigerians might understand. Overall a good short read

[Marcia Hellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Almost every story had a jaw dropping plot twist. I was on the edge of my seat, which is no small feat considering it's a collection of food themed short stories. I highly recommend this book.

[Naomi Emuakpeje · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loveddddd this collection of short stories! Stellar writing by the author, I’m a sucker for excellent writing, and the stories lived up to every expectation I had already set before I started reading the book! I can’t wait for what this author releases next

[F'iyin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this well cooked meal so much. This is a collection of short stories that will entertain, educate and sometimes make you uncomfortable.
‎Such a unique collection of stories you'd enjoy if you like to learn about food (get ready to be disgusted)!