7 Soups From Eastern Nigeria Everyone Will Love
The Igbos are the major tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
Although there are other tribes, they number in the minority. The Igbos can be predominantly found in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo.
They have a rich cultural heritage. New yam festivals, masquerades parades, and even marriage rites show how rich the Igbo tradition is.
My favourite part of the Igbo tradition is the food. The soups to be precise. The Igbo soups are mouth watering delicacies. These soups have been perfected over the course of centuries.
Here are my favourite Igbo soups which I believe everyone ought to get a taste of:
1. Ofe Oha (or Ora)
This soup is made from cocoyam (ede) and the leaves of the oha tree. It is a very popular soup in Igbo land.
2. Ofe Owerri
This soup is named after the capital of Imo state, Owerri. It is indigenous o Owerri town and has inspired so many songs. I bet you’ve probably heard:
onye n’enwere ego a di ala eli ofe owerri
This translates to “a poor man doesn’t eat ofe Owerri”.
3. Ofe Akwu
Called banga by the people in the South South, Ofe Akwu is an Igbo soup which is used predominantly to eat rice on Sundays.
4. Ofe Nsala
This is made from yam and lots of meat. It is white in colour. The Efiks has a variation of this soup called white soup.
5. Ofe Onugbu
This soup is made from bitter leaves. The thickener is cocoyam most times. And it is just as rich as Oha soup.
6. Ofe Okazi
This is made from Okazi leaves, Egusi and “Usu”. The process of making “Mgbam” which is a combination of the Egusi and Usu requires extreme muscle power.
7. Ofe Okro (or Okra)
Okro soup is one the Igbos have a PhD in cooking. It is usually made from fresh Okro and oil. Fish, meat and other things are added to boost the richness of this soup.
