Eja kika is smoked round panla fish, a lean white fish that Nigerians dry over wood smoke until it firms up and turns deeply savoury. In Kigali you can buy it at Jollof Bistro — The Best Nigerian Food in Kigali, our restaurant and African grocery in Remera, close to Kisimenti. A pack costs 3,600 RWF, and we handle pickup and delivery right across the city.
What eja kika is, and why cooks reach for it
Panla is the Nigerian name for hake. When that fish is smoked and shaped into a tight round coil, it becomes eja kika. The smoke dries it out, so it keeps well without a fridge and carries an aroma that plain fresh fish never has. Snap a piece open and you get firm, meaty flakes. That smoky depth is the whole point of it.
Yoruba speakers call fish "eja," and you will hear "panla" in Nigerian markets whether the fish is dried flat or curled into these rounds. Either way, it is a pantry workhorse, prized for the flavour it gives rather than for looking pretty. It is also milder and faster to soften than hard stockfish, which makes it an easy smoked fish to start cooking with.
How Nigerians cook with smoked panla fish
Most people soak it first. Cover the fish in hot water for a few minutes so it softens, then rinse off any grit and pull out the harder bones. After that it goes straight into the soup pot. Eja kika is a regular in egusi, ogbono, okra and leafy soups like efo riro and edikang ikong, and it sits beautifully in a peppery fish stew. Cooks often add it alongside stockfish and dried crayfish, layering dried-and-smoked flavours that fresh fish alone cannot reach.
As food, it is simply a lean smoked fish, a source of protein that has fed Nigerian homes for generations. Nothing complicated. Just honest, smoky flavour that makes a pot of soup taste like Sunday at home.
Where to buy eja kika in Kigali
We keep it stocked on our grocery shelves and online, ready to drop into your next pot of soup. And if you would rather taste it than cook it, we use smoked fish in the soups on our restaurant menu too.
3,600 RWF · Order now
You will find it in our African Food Market, next to the other dried and smoked staples, and there are matching ingredients over in our Soups range. Come by the shop in Remera to collect it, or ask us to deliver anywhere in Kigali. We are open every day from 8:00 to 23:30, so a late soup run is never a problem. Dine in with us, order for pickup, or have it brought to your door. To order quickly, call or WhatsApp +250 784 102 706 · WhatsApp.
Eja kika rarely cooks alone in a Nigerian kitchen. If you are also after the oils and thickeners that go with it, here is where to buy palm oil, ogbono and stockfish in Kigali.
Quick questions
What is eja kika (smoked panla fish)?
Eja kika is round panla fish (hake) that has been smoked and coiled until firm and dry. It has a strong smoky flavour and is used mainly to season and enrich Nigerian soups and stews.
Where can I buy panla fish in Kigali?
You can buy eja kika at Jollof Bistro in Remera, near Kisimenti. A pack is 3,600 RWF, with pickup at the shop and delivery across Kigali, every day from 8:00 to 23:30.
How do I prepare smoked panla fish before cooking?
Soak it in hot water for a few minutes to soften, rinse off any grit, and remove the harder bones. Then add it to your soup or stew so it can release its smoky flavour as it cooks.