By Chris Bruce
The craft of sauce-making, but not just any sauce maker – Wiga Wagaa, a West African sauce artisan based at No. 1 Consett.
Victor, a native of Nigeria, has called the North East home for the majority of his life. Educated in Newcastle with a background in Biochemistry, he traversed the realms of the Petrochemical Industry and Higher Education before establishing his sauce-making enterprise, initially at Tanfield and now thriving at No. 1 Industrial Estate.
In today’s era of global culinary exploration, we’ve become well-acquainted with diverse cuisines, but one region less familiar to many is the rich culinary landscape of West Africa. Central to the preparation of their distinctive sauces are a variety of chili peppers, accompanied by familiar spices like coriander, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Additionally, lesser-known elements like uziza, encompassing both berries and leaves, and a unique meat spice blend known as suya, contribute to the vibrant tapestry of West African flavors. Another spice blend, jerk, commonly associated with Jamaica, traces its origins back to West Africa and the historical context of the slave trade.
