Nigerian and other African pilgrims patronized roadside food vendors in Madina and Makkah of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom, even as some of them claimed they could not afford to eat at restaurants.
Investigation by Our Correspondent in Makkah, showed that other pilgrims from countries like Burkina Faso, Cameroon, republic of Mali also eat by the roadside.
Peoples Daily also observed that the roadside food vendors were mostly Africans, who sold traditional foods to their customers and other pilgrims who demanded for such at a cheaper rate.
Some of the pilgrims who patronized such roadside food vendors said they did that because majority of them found it difficult to eat Saudi fast foods or those cooked by foreigners who are mostly Asians.
The local food vendors who are found around pilgrims’ hotels within the city attending to their customers are known by Nigerians as “Tukaris” and are mostly from Nigeria and Niger republic.
It was gathered that some of them have been living in the town for decades.
A Nigerian pilgrim interviewed, said the local food vendors were really helping pilgrims like him, who can’t’ afford to eat at the restaurants due to high prices and the taste of Saudi dishes which they are not used to.
Another pilgrim from Taraba state, said he only patronized the roadside vendors because they are black.” Honestly I patronize them because I see them as my African sisters and they cook the type of food I am used to in Nigeria,” he said.
Among the different dishes sold by the roadside vendors are rice and chicken, “Tuwo da miyar kuka”, Kunu, with the prices ranging from 7 Saudi riyals for rice and chicken (300 naira) while Tuwo da miyar kuka, with meat goes for 3 riyals (120 naira).
However, in some of the restaurants, rice and chicken sold for 12 riyals (600 naira) which is why only the elites eat in the restaurant.
“I don’t eat from the Tukaris, not because their food is bad but I just feel I should rather eat food cooked by foreigners even though their prices are a little bit higher compared to that of the Tukaris,” a Kaduna state pilgrim, who does not want his name in print, said.
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