Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.
Àmàlà is a staple swallow food popularized by the Yoruba ethnic group of Southwestern Nigeria and other parts of Yorubaland. It is made of yam, cassava flour, or unripe plantain flour. Tubers of yams are peeled, sliced, cleaned, dried and then ground into flour. It is also called èlùbọ́. Yams are white in colour but turn brown when dried which gives àmàlà its colour. It is a popular side dish served with ewédú and gbẹ̀gìrì, but is also served with a variety of other ọbè(soups), such as ẹ̀fọ́, ilá, and ogbono.
Mulukhiyah, also known as molokhia, molohiya, or ewedu, is a dish made from the leaves of Corchorus olitorius, commonly known in English as jute mallow,nalta jute,tossa jute and denje'c'jute. It is used as a vegetable and is mainly eaten in Egypt, the Levant, Sudan, Cyprus, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. It is called “Saluyot” in the Philippines. Mulukhiyah is rather bitter, and when boiled, the resulting liquid is a thick, highly mucilaginous broth; it is often described as "slimy", rather like cooked okra. Mulukhiyah is generally eaten cooked, not raw, and it is either eaten chopped and sautéed in oil, garlic and cilantro like in Syria or turned into a kind of soup or stew like in Egypt, typically bearing the same name as the vegetable in the local language. Traditionally mulukhiyah is cooked with chicken or at least chicken stock for flavor and is served with white rice, accompanied with lemon or lime.
Ogbono soup is an Igbo dish made with ground dry ogbono seeds. Ogbono seeds are originated and were first grown in Southern Nigeria with considerable local variation. According to research by Chris Chinaka and J.C. Obiefuna, Ogbono is an indigenous forest tree associated with plants classified as 'non-timber forest products. It goes by various indigenous names among Nigerians. Common use of the word “ogbono” in general Nigerian parlance stems from the Igbo name for the word. Among the Nupe, it is called 'pekpeara', 'ogwi' in Bini, 'uyo' in Efik, and 'oro' or ‘apon’ in Yoruba. Although ogbono and ugiri, the Igbo name for bush-mango, are very similar indeed and often regarded as equivalents, there is technically a distinction.
Nigerian cuisine consists of dishes or food items from the hundreds of Native African ethnic groups that comprise Nigeria. Like other West African cuisines, it uses spices and herbs with palm or groundnut oil to create deeply flavored sauces and soups.
Peanut soup or groundnut soup is a soup made from peanuts, often with various other ingredients. It is a staple African cuisine but is also eaten in East Asia (Taiwan), the United States and other areas around the world. It is also common in some regions, such as Argentina northwest, Bolivia and Peru, where it can sometimes be served with bone meat and hollow short pasta or fries. In Ghana it is often eaten with fufu, omo tuo and banku often very spicy. Groundnut soup is also a native soup of the Benin (Edo) people in Nigeria and it is often eaten with pounded yam. Some of the essential ingredients used in making it are Piper guineense and Vernonia amygdalina.
Boli is a roasted plantain snack or meal in Nigeria. It is native to the Yoruba people of Nigeria but also eaten by Rivers people due to acculturation. It is referred to as 'boli' in South West Nigeria these people are known as the Yoruba people and is eaten with groundnuts. The Yorubas have been enjoying this delicacy for ages, it can be consumed as a snack or main meal which can be accompanied with pepper sauce filled with meat, roasted fish or fried chicken especially during the festive period. The word 'boli' is being pronounced as 'bole' due to a difference in accent in the south-south region in Nigeria. In South South Nigeria, it is referred to as 'bole' and is eaten with roasted fish. Bole went from being eaten at Festivals to becoming a very popular street food. Originally it was roasted half ripped plantain and hot spicy sauce, however roasted potatoes and yam is now part of the dish. Aside from being a popular dish in Yorubaland, and Port Harcourt and environs, It is slowly becoming a staple food at homes of Rivers State people.
Okra or Okro soup is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. Other vegetables can be added to the soup as well, such as ewedu, kerenkere, or Ugu leaf. Depending on the specific variant being prepared, okra soup can have a clear broth or be deep green in colour, much like the okra plant itself. Okra can have a slippery or "slimy" mouthfeel. The edible green seed pods can also be used in other stews and soups, such as the American dish gumbo.
Roselle juice, known as bissap, wonjo, foléré, dabileni, tsobo, zobo, siiloo or sobolo in parts of Africa, sorrel in the Caribbean, and agua de Jamaica in Mexico, is a drink made out of the flowers of the roselle plant, a species of Hibiscus. Although generally the "juice" is sweetened and chilled, it is technically an infusion and when served hot can also be referred to as hibiscus tea.
Miyar Kuka or Miyan Kuka, also known as Luru soup, is a type of soup popular among West Africa’s Sahelian ethnic groups. The soup is made from powdered baobab leaves. It is usually served with Tuwo or Fufu. A seasonal variant of this soup is made using fresh mashed baobab leaves. This variant is only available during the rainy season when fresh baobab leaves are available.
The pigeon pea is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Old World. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Atama soup or Amme-Eddi is also called Banga Soup in pidgin English(Nigerian English) It is a kind of palm-fruit vegetable soup that originates from the Efik people of Cross River state and Urhobo people of Delta State in South South Nigeria. It’s a popularly food among the Delta, Cross River and Akwa Ibom State People of Nigeria. The Urhobo people of Delta state called it Amme-edi or Banga soup. The soup is made from palm fruit-pulp that is derived from palm fruit; the extracted palm-pulp is base primary ingredient for the soup. Atama or Amme-edi(Banga) soup is thick and dark brown in color. It’s normally prepared with choice of protein like fresh meat or dry meat(mostly bush meat), dry fish, fresh fish and sometimes shrimp(dry or fresh), periwinkle as added proteins for more enhanced flavor. Ingredients: primary ingredients are fresh palm-pulp sourced from palm fruit, salt and pepper and secondary ingredients which are decided based on preference of the cooker are onions, salt, pepper(different kinds of pepper are preferences) and different kinds of spices could be added depending on the cooker preferred or desired taste or flavor. This soup could be styled into different flavors depending on cooking preferences. Every added ingredient could drastically change the taste of the food.
Àbùlà is a soup of Yoruba people from Western Nigeria. It is typically eaten together with amala, but can be eaten with other swallow foods. Abula literally means a mixture of soups but is mostly associated with a mixture of gbegiri, ewedu and ọbẹ̀ata (stew).
Owo is a soup eaten in the south-central region of Nigeria. It is common among ethnic groups such as Urhobo, Benin-bini, Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Edo. The soup is made with garri soaked in water after palm oil and potash mixture has been added. It is traditionally served at weddings in the Delta State; its absence at a wedding celebration is considered insulting to guests. It is also served at other traditional celebrations. It is especially important among the Urhobo people.
Eka soup, also known as ekuku, is a delicacy of three tribes in the Eastern region of Nigeria. It is prepared from mashed palm kernel, roasted groundnut and benne seeds. Eka soup is commonly eaten with starchy foods such as fufu. Eka Soup is a popular dish among the Idomas of Benue State, the Ogojas in Cross River and the Ibirams of Kogi state.
Edo black soup also known as omoebe is a Nigerian soup made mainly from three leaves namely scent leaf, uziza leaf and bitter leaf. Other ingredients include beef, onion, crayfish, pepper and palm oil.
Ofe Owerri is an Igbo delicacy in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. The soup is made with snails, beef,assorted meat and fishes.
Potato fufu is a staple swallow food taken by the northern region of Nigeria. It is popular among the Yoruba tribe living in Kwara state. The swallow food is easy to make compared to pounded yam and its unique taste is why the food is prepared at weddings, parties and other occasions.
Edo traditional food consists of dishes or food items common among the people of Edo State. The State is home to various ethnic groups including the Binis, Ishan (Esan), Afemai, Etsako, Uzebba Iuleha people [Owan] and others. The Traditional food found among these people usually involves soup and swallow. 'swallow' is a term for Nigerian meals that are taken with soup and ingested without chewing.
