7 Eastern Nigeria Soups You Will Love

The Igbos are the dominant tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria.

There a other tribes in this part of the country, but the Igbos dominate. The Tribe settle mostly in Ebonyin, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo.

The Igbos have a rich cultural heritage in food, marriage and festivals. New yam festivals, masquerades parades, and even marriage rites show how rich in tradition the Igbo tribe 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 Onugbu

Bitter Leaf Soup, also known as Ofe Onugbu is a popular Nigerian soup. Bitter leaf Soup is peculiar to the Igbo tribe of Eastern Nigeria.

Photo: Sisi Jeminah

 

#2.  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.

 

#3.  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”.

 

#4.  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.

 

#5.  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.

 

#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.

 

uhmmmmm They all look  yummy! Aint it?