Page 86 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

Afrikan Food
MY AFRIKA

NIGERIAN

EDIKANG-IKONG SOUP

Edikang Ikong Soup is the native soup of the Efik or Ibibio people of Cross River
and Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria; a highly nutritious, delicious vegetable soup na-
tively prepared using ‘ugwu’ (the native name for pumpkin leaves in Nigeria) and
spinach (locally called water leaf).
Like most soups from these coastal regions, this dish comes loaded with various
seafood delicacies like periwinkles (being a regular staple) and some interest-
ing "obstacles" (that's the Nigerian slang for assorted meat cuts). Interestingly,
Edikang Ikong soup kindles the same visual impression as Afang soup, this soup
joins the list of Efik or Ibibio delicacies that have garnered cult status in Nigeria
where the clout of top chefs and the best cooks are usually measured by their abil-
ity to reproduce this soup in its classic form.
Edikang Ikong is almost exclusively eaten with a fufu or other form of ‘swallow’
(another local slang for any of the collection of local starch-based mounds eaten
with one of these soups).

Ingredients

• Water leaf
• Pumpkin leaves (half the quantity of water
leaves)
• Goat meat (cut into large bite size pieces)
• Smoked Shrimp
• Palm oil
• Onions (to your preference)
• Ground Cameron pepper to taste
• Scotch bonnet peppers (based on preference)
• Stockfish (head preferably)
• A generous amount of ground smoked dried
shrimp aka Crayfish
• Ponmo (smoked goat or cow skin)
• Dried fish
• Panla (deboned)
• 1cup of Periwinkle
• Beef stock
• Choice cooked meats and fish (desired quanti-
ty and variety to preference)
• Chicken bouillon as needed (once your stock is
tasty, you'll need less salt)
• Salt to taste

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