Aromatic Fruit
Uyayak
Aidan fruit
Tetrapleura tetraptera
An aromatic dried fruit used to perfume broths and regional soups.
Ingredient record
Names & identity
Names can vary by language, market and region. Only reviewed names are displayed here.
| Nigerian/common name | Uyayak |
|---|---|
| English/common name | Aidan fruit |
| Botanical name | Tetrapleura tetraptera |
| Also known as | Aidan Fruit |
What is Uyayak?
Uyayak is an aromatic dried fruit of Tetrapleura tetraptera. The woody fruit has four prominent longitudinal wings and is simmered to perfume soups and broths.
What is Uyayak called in English?
Aidan fruit is a common English market name. Aridan and prekese are also encountered, but naming differs across West Africa and should not be treated as one language-neutral term.
Flavour & identification
What does it taste like?
Sweetly aromatic, woody and warming
What does it look like?
The whole fruit is long, dark and woody with four raised wings running along its length. Its shape is highly distinctive.
Using Uyayak in Nigerian cooking
How is it used?
Break or bruise a section and simmer in broth; remove larger pieces before serving.
Which dishes use it?
Regional pepper soups
Aromatic broths
Soup spice blends
How do you prepare it?
Rinse, break or bruise a section and simmer it in liquid. Remove large woody pieces before serving unless a recipe specifies otherwise.
How much should you use?
Start with a small broken section rather than a whole large fruit. Aroma varies by size and freshness.
Whole vs ground
Whole pieces are easy to remove and keep longer. Ground fruit disperses throughout the dish and should be used carefully.
Buying, storing & substituting
How to store it
Keep dry and protected from moisture.
Possible substitutes
There is no close substitute for its sweet, woody aroma.
Supporting research
Ingredient research
Reviews describe nutrients and bioactive compounds in Tetrapleura tetraptera, but most claimed biological effects come from laboratory or animal studies. Human clinical evidence for culinary uyayak is insufficient, so claims about blood pressure, diabetes, infection or cancer should not be made from the current evidence.
Sources & further reading
Reviewed by Nigerian Spices editorial desk, 27 August 2026.
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