The Nigerian tribe with the most delicious soup

In the battle of Nigerian soups, which tribe comes out on top?

Almost every tribe in Nigeria likes to lay claim to having the most delicious traditional delicacies and being the originator of some soups usually made from plants and animals found in that locality.

Nigeria is a multicultural country with over 371 Nigerian tribes across more than 250 ethnic groups.

Despite the existence of many minority tribes, the three major tribes are Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba, and most distinctions are made across those lines.

Each tribe and ethnic group love their soups and usually eat them with solids like pounded yam, semo, wheat, eba, fufu, and amala.

However, soups made from okra aren’t owned by another one, as they are made by almost all ethnic groups, each giving their own spin on it.

So, which ethnic group makes the most delicious soup?

Do the Yorubas have the most delicious soup in Nigeria?

The Yorubas have Gbegiri made from beans.

Gbegiri {afrolems}

They own Ewedu soup made from jute leaves and other less-known soups like Elegede, Isapa, and others.

Gbegiri and Ewedu {Fabwoman}

ALSO READ: Natural Remedies: 5 benefits of ewedu (jute) leaves

Ewedu, hot pepper stew, fish, and assorted meat eaten with amala is one of the best Nigerian delicacies.

Yorubas are the true “owners” of Egusi soup. The Yoruba word “egusi” refers to the method of preparing the delicacy known as “ẹ̀gúsí,” while the correct term is “ẹ gun si,” which describes the act of cracking open a melon seed.

Egusi and Pounded Yam

Egusi is one of the top two best soups ever made by Nigerians, but it’s not the number one. The writer of this article doesn’t believe Yorubas have the most delicious soup in Nigeria.

Do the Hausas have the most delicious soup in Nigeria?

Hausas soups are very delicious like Miyan Kukan, a dish made from dried and ground baobab leaves.

Miyan Kuka [Africanfoodnetwork]

Miyan Taushe is another Hausa soup made from pumpkin and groundnut paste.

Miyan Taushe [Eatwellabi]

Miyan Zogala is prepared with moringa leaves, while Miyan Gyada is made from ground peanuts.

While Miyan Kukan and Miyan Taushe are fingerlicking delicious—the writer of this article has tasted both—the Northerners cannot boast of the most delicious soups in Nigeria.

Do the Igbos have the best soups in Nigeria?

The Igbos also have many delicious soups, but they also have many soups in common with those in the South South; for instance, Ofe Akwu is called Banga in the South-South (Efik and Ibibio).

Ofe akwu is similar to Banga soup [Igbodigest]

Ofe Nsala (white soup) is similar to Afia Efere, also known as “white soup,” in the South-South. The major difference is Ofe Nsala has utazi and ogiri, while Afia Efere uses Uyayak, a local spice.

ofe nsala {thepretendchef}

No oil is needed to make Ofe Nsala. It is made with fresh catfish, yam (which acts as a thickener), uziza seeds, and traditional spices. Ofe Nsala has utazi and ogiri, while Afia Efere uses Uyayak, a local spice.

Oha soup [babymigo]

So many people have argued online that oha soup is the best soup in the country.

The Igbos have oha soup, which is made from oha plant, native to southeastern Nigeria, cooked with cocoyam as a thickener and flavoured with meats, fish, and traditional spices.

Ogbono soup is also another soup of theirs. It is made from grounded ogbono seed primarily found in the southeastern part of the country. Also, the word itself is Igbo.

Ogbono soup [farmcity]

The South-South also have a variation of Ogbono known as Efere Ibaba (Ukodo). In the Efik/Ibibio version, assorted meats, fish, and vegetables are added.

Do the Efik and Ibibio tribes make the best soup in Nigeria?

One of their soups is Edikang Ikong, made primarily from a mix of fluted pumpkin leaves (ugu) and waterleaf; it is a rich vegetable soup.

Edikang Ikong soup [mandifoods]

It is usually made of assorted meats, dried fish, stockfish, and periwinkles and is flavoured with palm oil, crayfish, and pepper.

Another popular vegetable soup, similar to Edikang Ikong but way more thicker is Afang soup. The key difference is that it is made with Afang (wild spinach) leaves and waterleaf.

It’s also made with different types of meat, fish, and seafood like periwinkles.

Afang soup [Afameals]

Atama soup is made from atama leaves with a unique, slightly bitter taste. It is cooked with palm oil, meats, and seafood, especially dried or smoked fish.

Atama soup [Youtube/realbenny’skitchen]

So which tribe has the most delicious soup?

It’s a tie between the Southeast and the South-South.

Afang from South-South is one of the most delicious soups ever made, especially because with each bite you are eating periwinkle, fish, or goat meat. Oha soup is equally delicious, especially when made right.

The writer of this article has tasted both of them and believes they are both strong contenders and winners.