Grill · Spiced beef skewers

Soya

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Its signature crust comes from a ground-peanut spice rub, not a marinade.

Soya is thinly sliced beef threaded onto skewers, coated in a spice blend called kankan — made from ground peanuts, ginger, chili, and garlic — and grilled over an open flame. Vendors serve it with raw onion slices and extra spice on the side for dipping.

Why it's made this way: The dish traces back to Hausa communities in northern Cameroon, and grilling meat this way over charcoal, finished with a spice rub built from local groundnuts, became the anchor of the 'soya spot' — an evening gathering place as much as a food stall.