What Is Tatashe? The Nigerian Red Pepper Explained
Tatashe is a red pepper used as the base of Nigerian stew and jollof. Here is what it is and where to buy it.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Tatashe is the Nigerian name for a mild, sweet red pepper, similar to a red bell pepper or a long red romano-style pepper, used as the colourful, flavourful base of Nigerian stews and rice dishes. It is blended together with tomatoes, onions and a little hot scotch bonnet, called rodo or ata rodo, to make the rich red pepper base that underpins Nigerian tomato stew, jollof rice and many other dishes. Tatashe brings colour, body and a sweet, mild pepper flavour rather than heat. In the UK tatashe, or red bell peppers in its place, are sold by African food shops and supermarkets.
What to remember
- Tatashe is a mild, sweet Nigerian red pepper, similar to a red bell pepper.
- It is blended with tomatoes, onions and scotch bonnet to make the Nigerian pepper base.
- This base underpins Nigerian tomato stew, jollof rice and many dishes.
- It brings colour, body and sweet, mild pepper flavour rather than heat.
- Tatashe, or red bell peppers, are sold by African food shops and supermarkets.
For Nigerians in Britain, tatashe is the taste and colour of home cooking. It is the red peppers blended for the stew base, the rich red sauce that starts almost every dish, the sweet pepper flavour under the jollof, the foundation of the family pot. Blending tatashe far from home brings back kitchens filled with the smell of pepper base frying in oil, the warmth of home in every rich, red spoonful of stew.
There is real heart in it too, in an ingredient so fundamental to Nigerian cooking that no proper stew or jollof is made without it. It reflects a whole culture of home cooking built on the pepper base, and to blend tatashe is to keep that alive. Cooking a stew or jollof with a good tatashe base for family who grew up on it, or showing a friend how the base is made, is a small act of welcome. That rich, sweet, red taste of home is the quiet gift of tatashe.
What Tatashe Actually Is
Tatashe is the Nigerian name for a type of mild, sweet red pepper, fleshy and glossy, similar to the red bell pepper or the long, tapering red romano pepper familiar in Britain. Unlike the fiery scotch bonnet, tatashe is not hot; instead it is prized for its sweet, mild pepper flavour, its rich red colour and its fleshy body, which make it the perfect base for the red pepper sauces at the heart of so much Nigerian cooking. It is one of the trio of peppers, with tomatoes and hot pepper, that forms the foundation of the Nigerian kitchen.
In Nigerian cooking, dishes are often built on a blended pepper base, and tatashe is the ingredient that gives that base its body, colour and sweet pepper depth without adding heat. It is used fresh, blended, and it is a staple in countless households. Tatashe belongs to the world of Nigerian cooking essentials we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, working alongside the fiery scotch bonnet to build flavour.
How Tatashe Is Used
Tatashe's main role is as the base of the Nigerian red pepper blend, the foundation of the country's iconic stews and rice dishes. To make it, tatashe is blended together with tomatoes, onions and a smaller amount of hot pepper, usually scotch bonnet, into a smooth red purée. This blend is then cooked down, often in oil, into the rich red pepper base, sometimes called obe ata or the stew base, that underpins Nigerian tomato stew, the famous jollof rice, and dishes like stewed beans, sauces for rice and yam, and much more.
The beauty of tatashe is that it lets a cook add plenty of body, sweetness and colour to the base while controlling the heat separately with the scotch bonnet, so the stew can be as mild or as fiery as wanted. It is used in nearly every home that cooks Nigerian food. This is general food and cooking information rather than dietary advice. Whether in a simple tomato stew or a party jollof, tatashe is the quiet workhorse that gives Nigerian red sauces their rich colour and sweet pepper flavour.
Tatashe in the Nigerian Kitchen
Tatashe is so fundamental to Nigerian cooking that it is bought and blended constantly, a true everyday essential. Many Nigerian cooks keep a batch of the blended pepper base ready, and tatashe is central to it, giving the base its signature colour and flavour. The balance of tatashe, tomato and hot pepper is something every cook judges to taste, and it is the starting point for a huge range of dishes, which is why tatashe is such a treasured staple.
For anyone cooking Nigerian food, understanding tatashe is understanding the base of the cuisine, and getting a good, fleshy, sweet red pepper is key to a good stew or jollof. This article is general food and cooking information rather than dietary advice. Where the exact Nigerian tatashe is not available, red bell peppers or long red romano peppers are commonly used in its place with excellent results. Sweet, mild and richly red, tatashe is the colourful foundation of the Nigerian kitchen.
Where to Buy Tatashe in the UK
Buying tatashe in Britain is straightforward. African food shops often sell tatashe, the Nigerian red peppers, especially those serving West African communities, and where the exact variety is not in stock, red bell peppers or long red romano peppers, sold in every supermarket, are the standard and excellent substitute used by Nigerians in the UK. The key is a fleshy, sweet red pepper for body and colour, plus scotch bonnet for heat and tomatoes and onions to complete the base.
If you want to cook Nigerian stews or jollof, an African food shop can point you to tatashe or the right red peppers, along with scotch bonnet and the seasonings you need. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where tatashe and its substitutes are familiar items. Blended with tomatoes, onions and a little scotch bonnet into a rich red base, tatashe is the sweet, colourful foundation of Nigerian home cooking.
Frequently asked questions
What is tatashe?
Tatashe is the Nigerian name for a mild, sweet red pepper, similar to a red bell pepper or a long red romano-style pepper, used as the colourful, flavourful base of Nigerian stews and rice dishes. It is not hot; it is prized for its sweet, mild pepper flavour, rich red colour and fleshy body, which make it the perfect base for the red pepper sauces at the heart of Nigerian cooking.
What is tatashe used for?
Tatashe is used to make the Nigerian red pepper base, the foundation of the country's stews and rice dishes. It is blended with tomatoes, onions and a little hot scotch bonnet into a smooth purée, then cooked down into the rich red base that underpins Nigerian tomato stew, jollof rice, stewed beans and many sauces. It gives body, colour and sweet pepper flavour.
Is tatashe hot or spicy?
No, tatashe is a mild, sweet pepper, not a hot one. Its role is to give body, colour and sweet pepper flavour to the base, while the heat in Nigerian dishes comes separately from scotch bonnet, called rodo or ata rodo. Using tatashe for body and scotch bonnet for heat lets a cook control the spiciness of a stew or jollof to taste.
What can I use instead of tatashe in the UK?
Where Nigerian tatashe is not available, red bell peppers or long red romano peppers, sold in every supermarket, are the standard and excellent substitute used by Nigerians in the UK. The key is a fleshy, sweet red pepper for body and colour. Combined with scotch bonnet, tomatoes and onions, these make a very good Nigerian pepper base.
Where can I buy tatashe in the UK?
African food shops, especially those serving West African communities, often sell tatashe, and where it is not in stock, red bell peppers or romano peppers from any supermarket are the standard substitute. A shop can point you to tatashe or the right red peppers, along with scotch bonnet and seasonings, for making Nigerian stews and jollof. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.
