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Allergy guide

Fish and shellfish allergy: foods to check

In Nigerian cooking, fish and crayfish are usually a flavour base, not a feature. They go into the pot of egusi, ogbono, afang and pepper soup, into stews and rice, and into seasoning cubes. That makes a fish or shellfish allergy hard to see from the outside of a dish.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026

Where fish and shellfish often hides

These are common patterns, not guarantees. A particular cook or brand may do it differently, so treat each line as a reason to ask.

  • Ground crayfish. A common seasoning in soups, stews, jollof and sauces. Crayfish is a crustacean.
  • Dried and smoked fish, stockfish and bonga. Used to flavour soups and stews, often broken up so it is hard to spot.
  • Seasoning cubes and powders. Some contain fish or crayfish. Read the label for fish, crayfish or shrimp.
  • Moi moi. Often made with fish or sardine folded into the batter.
  • Pepper soup and fresh fish stew. Fish or other seafood is the main ingredient.
  • Soups with periwinkle or snails. Some people with shellfish allergy also react to molluscs. This differs between people, so ask your clinician.
  • Fried rice, jollof and white rice with stew. Prawns or crayfish can be stirred in, and the stew served over plain rice is usually made on a fish or crayfish base. The rice looks safe even when the sauce is not.
  • Street food and buka plates. Pots and ladles are shared between dishes, so a vegetable soup can carry fish from the pot next to it. Say it is an allergy and ask what shares the pot.

Safer starting points

  • Soups and stews made without crayfish or dried fish, flavoured with locust beans (iru), onion and pepper instead.
  • Plain jollof, yam, plantain, beans and rice cooked with seasoning you have checked.
  • Meat or egg dishes, if those suit you.

What to ask before you eat

Say that it is an allergy, not a preference. Then ask plainly:

  • Is there crayfish or dried fish in the soup base or stew?
  • Does the seasoning contain fish or crayfish?
  • Is the pot or oil shared with fish dishes?

Tell Fuuud once

In the chat, say it the way you would to a person: “I'm allergic to shellfish and crayfish”. Fuuud stores one dated line in your own encrypted record:

2026-10-07 | allergy | shellfish, including crayfish

From then on every meal suggestion is checked against it, and a meal that conflicts is blocked, not just flagged. If you change your mind you can retract the fact in Settings. How the record is kept is explained in how Fuuud keeps your health memory private.

Not medical advice

This is a reading aid, not medical advice. Recipes and ingredients differ by cook, region and brand. If you have a diagnosed allergy or condition, follow your clinician's guidance, read labels, and tell the person serving you that it is an allergy.

Common questions

Is fish allergy the same as shellfish allergy?

No. Fish and shellfish are different groups and a person can be allergic to one without the other. Tell Fuuud exactly which you have.

Is crayfish a fish?

No, crayfish is a crustacean, so it counts as shellfish, even though it is used like a seasoning in local cooking.

Can I trust a seasoning cube?

Not without reading it. Some brands list fish or crayfish, and recipes change. If the pack is unlabelled or in a language you cannot read, leave it out.

Fish stock and seasoning can sit in dishes that look vegetarian.

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