Ingredients
Greens
- 300 gafang leaves, Gnetum africanum, very finely shredded
- 600 gwaterleaf, or spinach as a substitute
Protein
- 500 gbeef or goat, in cubes
- 200 gkpomo, cow skin, boiled
- 200 gsmoked fish, flaked
- 200 gperiwinkles, cleaned
- 2 tbspground crayfish
Base
- 200 mlred palm oil
- 1onion, chopped
- 3scotch bonnets, blended
- 1stock cube
- salt
Thickener
- 100 gground egusi or ground crayfish, optional
To serve
- fufu, garri, pounded yam or starch
Directions
- Season the beef and boil it with onion and stock cube until tender, keeping the stock. Boil the kpomo separately until soft, since cow skin takes considerably longer than meat.
- Add the red palm oil to the pot with the cooked meat and a little of its stock. Do not bleach or overheat the palm oil, which destroys its colour and flavour and gives a harsh taste.
- Flake it and check carefully for bones as you add it. If they are in shell, wash them thoroughly in several changes of water and boil them briefly.
- Add the waterleaf first and let it wilt down completely, releasing its liquid. Cook it for five to eight minutes until it has collapsed and the pot has enough moisture.
- Add the afang last and cook it for only five to ten minutes. Afang needs less cooking than people expect, and overcooking it turns it dull and destroys its distinctive flavour.
- Season it well, since a thick soup of greens and meat absorbs a great deal. Now let it stand off the heat for ten minutes before serving.
- Serve it with fufu, garri, pounded yam or starch.
Technique
- Afang is a tough forest vine and must be shredded extremely finely.
- Waterleaf provides most of the liquid, so very little water is added.
- Periwinkles are characteristic of the coastal Cross River kitchen.
Substitutions
- Spinach in place of waterleaf, which is milder.
- Okazi or eru, which are the same leaf under other names.
Variations
- Made with more meat, for a celebration version.
- Edikang ikong, the related Efik soup with pumpkin leaves.
- Made without periwinkles.
History
A vegetable soup combining afang leaves, from a specific wild forest vine, with water leaf, palm oil and often meat, fish and periwinkle, developed among the Efik and Ibibio peoples of southeastern Nigeria, particularly around Calabar, a historic coastal trading city whose position shaped its distinctly rich, ingredient-dense soup traditions. Afang leaf itself must be finely shredded before cooking, a labor-intensive preparation step traditionally done by hand, and the specific combination of forest-foraged afang leaf with cultivated water leaf reflects a broader Efik and Ibibio culinary pattern of blending wild and farmed ingredients within one dish. It remains closely associated with Calabar and the wider Cross River region specifically, considered one of southeastern Nigeria’s most prized and labor-intensive traditional soups.
Frequently asked questions
What is Afang soup?
Afang soup is a soup & stew from Nigeria: efik soup of afang leaves and waterleaf with periwinkles. A vegetable soup combining afang leaves, from a specific wild forest vine, with water leaf, palm oil and often meat, fish and periwinkle, developed among the Efik and Ibibio peoples of southeastern Nigeria, particularly around Calabar, a historic coastal trading city whose position shaped its distinctly rich, ingredient-dense soup traditions. Afang leaf itself must be finely shredded before cooking, a labor-intensive preparation step traditionally done by hand, and the specific combination of forest-foraged afang leaf with cultivated water leaf reflects a broader Efik and Ibibio culinary pattern of blending wild and farmed ingredients within one dish. It remains closely associated with Calabar and the wider Cross River region specifically, considered one of southeastern Nigeria’s most prized and labor-intensive traditional soups.
How long does Afang soup take to make?
Afang soup takes 40 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Afang soup?
Yes, within limits. Spinach in place of waterleaf, which is milder. Okazi or eru, which are the same leaf under other names.
What is the most important thing to get right in Afang soup?
Add the red palm oil to the pot with the cooked meat and a little of its stock. Do not bleach or overheat the palm oil, which destroys its colour and flavour and gives a harsh taste.
