Nov 18 2007
Ogbono Soup
Ogbono Soup: This delicacy is popular in the southern part of Nigeria. I believe Ogbono is the seed of the bush mango, or wild mango tree (Irvingia gabonensis or Irvingia wombolu), which is native to the tropical Atlantic coast region of Africa like Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon. Other names of Ogbono include Etima, Odika, or Dika. The seeds are harvested from the plant then they are dried. Finally, the dried seeds are then blended with a food processor so that its has a powdery texture.
Type: Soup.
Ingredients: Here is what you need:
- Ogbono (Half Cup)
- Cooking Oil (Palm or Vegetable Oil) (One Cup)
- Meat or Fish (1 – 2 lbs)
- Tomato (Optional) (2 – 4 diced)
- Onion (1 bulb diced)
- Vegetable leaves (Spinach, Collard Green, Bitterleaf, Ugwu) (2 cups chopped)
- Seasoning Cubes
- Crayfish (Optional)
- Curry (to taste, optional)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
Preparation:
- Heat oil in pot until it get to a mid-point between hot and very hot. Take the pot off the stove top and immediately add the Ogbono. (If the oil is very hot, it will burn the Ogbono. To avoid this, just hot oil should be okay).
- In another pot cook your meat or fish in boiling water with salt, onion, curry and seasoning cube. Let boil till meat/fish is almost cooked. Then add your other ingredients: crayfish, diced tomatoes, vegetable leaves, pepper and let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- The tomatoes and vegetable leaves should not cook for long otherwise they would loose their nutritional values. That is why they are added later.
- Add the Ogbono, mix and then reduce the heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Thats it. Serve with fufu (yam, cocoyam, plantain, cassava), eba (cassava), iyan (pounded yam), boiled yam or boiled potatoes.
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i just want to ask;when u go to the food store what is ogbono written as in english(since thats the naija name) also can u write on how to make suya
I am not sure, my mom always sends me ogbono from home, I will look out for it the next time I am at the African store. If I find the english name I will post it. About the suya, your prayers have been answered. http://www.ebade.com/?p=14
Hi ebade, I was so thrilled to find your website while looking for suya recipes, it left me speechless but I quickly copied it for (near) future use. When I read your write up about food being art for you, it almost made me cry. I totally understand! I am a lawyer but I LOVE to cook.I fantasize about recipes. When I have a party, I plan and re-plan the menu well ahead of time, and then I pray about it. It doesn’t matter if it’s just eggs I am frying, I pour my heart and soul into it and it often comes through. For me, cooking is not just a hobby, it’s an expression of who I am; a major part of my identity. Your recipes are spot on. Keep up the good work of rightly informing us how to cook our favourite foods. Meanwhile I’m definitely making some meatpie for my daughter’s birthday coming up soon. Do you know how to make Ofada rice stew?
Thanks adanne for your comments. I have heard of Ofada Stew and I think it is similar to “Owo soup” (Palm Oil stew that uses kaun – rock salt potash – as its main spice). That said, I will add Ofada Stew to my list of dishes to prepare.
I work as a software engineer, so I really really need some free time to prepare everything required for posting dishes to the website (i.e. taking pictures, writing up the text, etc.). But I will eventually get to it, so thanks again and keep checking because I had a wonderful vision when I first started this and that has not changed.
if i’m not mistaken, they don’t use fresh tomatoes and pepper to make ogbono else it wnt draw. Curry also spoils the taste (for all arfrican soups). All the same, impresive for a guy
Sorry u can use fresh pepper but NEVER tomatoes.
U can also use fresh Okro instead of the Vegitables. My wife uses Okro and that makes this soup my best delicacy.
pls what is the english name for ogbono
Thanks for the step by step instructions, it was really helpful.
Keep up the good work!!!!
I 2nd that thought ..u never use tomatoes for ogbono soup and some people use okra too inplace of veggies.
Dear Sir,
Very impressed, but it is dificult to find such food staff here in the Midle East
in particular ogbono, this is very good new of loosing weight by dring ogbono soup
please help where we can by the bush mangos stuff.
?
Regards
Hello Saif, You can just just google “buy ogbono online” and some results come up (both in the UK and US). I am not sure but some of these site may allow shipments across countries. But this is my guess with your situation, as long as there are some Nigerians (West Africans) close to where you stay, I believe you can get ogbono. Try asking around.
@ Lord O.Jay. Ogbono (aka akpon) in english is African bush mango
Ofada stew cannot be cooked with rock salt potash, it will make a mess of the stew. It is cooked with Iru (locust beans) as the main seasoning. Major ingredients include unripe pepper, onions and the palmoil has to be heated(bleached) until it looks like groundnut oil .
Owo soup is never the same thing as Ofada stew…and neither is it the same way it is cooked…Ofada stew is freid while Owo soup is boiled. Owo soup is majorly palmoil, meat, fish, potash, starch and garri(thickners) ,pepper, crayfish and the round and long peppersoup ingredients. Ofada stew is majorly Iru, bleached palmoil and grounded fresh pepper, meat or fish…
Also, its new for me to hear that tomatoes is an ingredient in ogbono…the soup will never draw and curry???..it will spoil the taste of the Ogbono….nice job by the way
Tomatoes inside ogbono,wonders shal neva end.mayb we can equaly use ogbono soup 2eat bread!
hi,
Wonderful job. I am Ibo. I love cooking and experimenting. I have read all d comments. And who said tomatoes can’t be used in ogbono? I use tomatoes in all my soups except Nsala(white) soup and thatz because, I believe white soup colour should remain bland, as d name implies. Although I have seen where tomatoes are used in white soup (very minimal tho). As for curry, never tried it in any of my soups just stew. But I am sure d quantity used here will be minimal since it is just to season d meat. Hence, no harm will be done to d taste of d soup……..
Other soups I don’t use tomatoes are soups prepared with ogiri isi (sorry don’t have d english name of dat one). Soups like onugbu, oha, etc. And do keep up d good work.
yay. i followed your instructions and left out the tomatoes. My OGBONO turned out perfect.
Considering what has been said about tomatoes, don’t u think you should edit the piece?
Nope. My perspective about cooking has always been understand the basics but always feel free to mix things up. That is how you normally discover truly “ungodly” delicious dishes (or things to speak in general). The way I have structured this blog, users should be able to take different gems from it. I do however appreciate your input.
U RE DOIN A GREAT JO