Kaduna’s 100-year-old kilishi market

Kilishi is one of the meat delicacies which derives from beef, and it is common among people in Northern Nigeria. It is also fast becoming a delicacy of first choice from the North, for travellers who visit from other regions of Nigeria. It is made by cutting fresh beef into thin, wafer-like slices, seasoning it […]

Kilishi is one of the meat delicacies which derives from beef, and it is common among people in Northern Nigeria. It is also fast becoming a delicacy of first choice from the North, for travellers who visit from other regions of Nigeria.
It is made by cutting fresh beef into thin, wafer-like slices, seasoning it with ground pepper, groundnut and other spices, and thereafter  having it dried in the sun or in an oven. The unique taste of this source of protein is derived from the sun drying process, which keeps all nutrients locked within it.
Kilishi is mainly  eaten as a snack and the process of its preparation makes it easy to store. Kilishi is a delicious dry meat, prepared by butchers as a snack to be taken along by travellers. Also, it  could be kept for several years without decaying.
This long shelf life it was gathered may not be unconnected with the process  of making Kilishi, as it is observed that any fat within must be removed from meat set aside for kilishi, before the production process commences.
Our correspondent who was at a kilishi market located along Jos road in the heart of Kaduna city ,observes that the basic raw material for the production of kilishi is meat, which has to pass through different processes including washing, slicing and shaping, mixing with required ingredients, and drying before the final roasting.

Traditionally, the spice ingredients said to be used in making kilishi comprise  mainly of pepper, ginger, groundnut cake ,and  a small quantity of salt to taste. But perhaps with  the coming of modernity, ingredients like curry power, thyme and other spices are now  being added.
It is gathered that the ingredients are mixed together in a container with a little quantity of water added. This mixed ingredient will then be applied on the dried meat, and kept under a scorching sun to dry, before it is finally roasted.
The Chairman of the Kilishi Sellers Association, Kaduna, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu Abdullahi, said there are over 70 people including youths engaged in kilishi business in the  market, and described it as a very lucrative business.
“This house behind me  is my family house.It has been on Jos road for the past 100 years, and the sale of kilishi has been going on for that long. It started with my great grandparents, then my grandparents took part in the trade. Later my parents and the children of my parents, including me, and now our children have taken it up, all following in our footsteps. I hope that my children and those of my other siblings take over the trade, and continue the long family business left behind by our great grandparents.
“As I said earlier, I have been in the business of kilishi production and sales since I was a  child. I can comfortably say I have been in the business for the past 35 years, and I have never for one day regretted venturing into the business. It is a good and very lucrative business because it is something that people cherish, coupled with the fact they it is a product that does not spoil easily because of its dry quality. It is also exported outside the shores of Nigeria in large quantities,and  that shows how the commodity is in high demand.
“Many people are presently engaged in the production and sale of Kilishi in this market, and that is their only source of livelihood. Even those that are going to school, when they come back from school, they immediately join the rest in the production of the commodity,” he said.
Asked if there are challenges associated with the business, he said, “In my 35 years in the business, I have never encountered any challenges. It is a business that has  one hundred per cent profit, because the product does not go bad, and it is in high demand. Therefore there are  no losses incurred.”
Explaining the process of kilishi production, he said, “kilishi is a meat product of the tropics, prepared from sun-dried lean beef, infused with spices and groundnut paste. Indeed, one thing that stands kilishi out is its ability to keep for several months at room temperature without going bad, and this  has made it popular.”
“Kilishi is obtained from sliced lean muscles of beef, goat meat or lamb, and it is made on a large scale under the hot and dry weather conditions. Traditionally, the slices of meat are spread on papyrus mats ,on elevated platforms or tables in the sun to dry. The drying is done in two stages. In the first stage , the pieces of sliced meat are sun-dried for seven hours.
“The meat slices are then turned over every hour to allow for even drying and to prevent them from getting stuck to the drying surface. After drying, the slices are finally roasted over a glowing fire for a  few minutes. Kilishi can be eaten as a snack,” he said.

Asked on the effects of flies feasting on the kilishi while  it is drying, he said, “the files are  no health hazard  because when the drying process is over, we finally roast the kilishi before we display it in the show glass. So you see, in the process of roasting, all the germs or bacteria brought on to the meat by the flies, will be destroyed by the fire, thereby making the meat safe for human consumption.”
“We often have health talks with officials from the state ministry of health, on how to produce kilishi in the sense of the best health practices .This starts  from where we get the meat, how we transport it, the cutting and spicing process, the drying and finally the roasting, all in a bid to ensure that the product is safe for human consumption,” he noted.
On how long it takes for the kilishi to be ready for consumption, he added “It depends on the season.For instance, during the  dry season, the kilishi dries faster than during the raining season due to the wetness of the season, and hence, it is soon ready for consumption.
“The product is very affordable depending on the size of what a customer wants. The prices range  from N1,500, N1,200, N2,000 and so on, and there are also cheaper rates which are sold by the retailers who have brought wholesale from us. It is a very good business because I got married with the proceeds of the business.I take care of my family needs including school fees ,and I have built houses which I have given out for rent. Some of my children are in school studying for their ‘A’ levels, while others are in primary and secondary schools.
He advised the youth to  engage  in a trade,  instead of staying idle, especially in this time when  jobs are very hard to find .He closed by  saying that an idle  mind is the devil’s workshop.