Bitter Leaf Soup: A Simple Taste of West Africa

For many years, I’ve cooked food. Today, let’s talk about Bitter Leaf Soup, a special dish from West Africa. It’s more than just food; it tells a story about culture and goo d taste. This soup has a little bit of a bitter taste that goes well with other yummy flavors. Let’s learn where it comes from, how to make it, who loves it the most, and what to eat it with.

Where Did It Start? The Story of Bitter Leaf Soup

We think Bitter Leaf Soup started with the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria. They call it “Ofe Onugbu,” which means “bitter leaf soup.” The main part of the soup is a plant called bitter leaf. This plant grows in Africa and people have used it for food and medicine for a long time. Maybe people started putting it in soup because it was easy to find and good for them.

Other groups in West Africa also have their own kinds of bitter leaf soup. For example, the Efik and Ibibio people in Nigeria make it with seafood. People in countries like Cameroon and Ghana also use bitter leaves in their soups.

To make bitter leaf taste good, you have to wash it and squeeze it many times to take out some of the bitterness. This shows that people knew how to use what they had to make tasty food.

Even though we don’t have old books telling us exactly when Bitter Leaf Soup started, we know it’s been around for a long time because it’s still a big part of West African food. It’s a dish that shows how people used what was around them.

How to Make It: A Simple Recipe for Bitter Leaf Soup

What You Need:
Fresh or dried bitter leaves
Different kinds of meat (like beef and goat)
Smoked fish
Stockfish
Palm oil
Ground crayfish
Hot pepper
Onion
Ogiri Igbo (a special bean paste – optional)
Seasoning cubes
Salt
Water or meat juice