Cassava steeped under water until soft and sour, then cooked and pounded into a swallow. It is an Igbo staple, and the pungent smell of a true akpu is the marker people judge it by.
The steeping that sours the cassava is the same step that detoxifies it, and shortening it — the obvious thing an impatient cook does — is the documented route to cassava poisoning.
What goes into it
- cassava tubers
- water
How it is made
Peeled tubers are submerged in water for three to five days until they soften and sour, then broken up by hand, the fibre sieved out, and the mash drained in cloth. That long steep is what breaks down the root’s cyanogenic glycosides. The drained mash is cooked and pounded into a smooth elastic swallow.
How long it takes: three to five days of steeping, then cooking and pounding
How it is eaten
Rolled into balls and dipped into ofe nsala, egusi or bitterleaf soup.
History
An Igbo staple made by fermenting peeled tubers in water for days, giving the pungent smell that marks a true akpu.
Frequently asked questions
What is Akpu?
Akpu is a fermented & pickled from Nigeria: cassava steeped under water until soft and sour, then cooked and pounded into swallow. An Igbo staple made by fermenting peeled tubers in water for days, giving the pungent smell that marks a true akpu.
How is Akpu made?
Peeled tubers are submerged in water for three to five days until they soften and sour, then broken up by hand, the fibre sieved out, and the mash drained in cloth. That long steep is what breaks down the root’s cyanogenic glycosides. The drained mash is cooked and pounded into a smooth elastic swallow. It takes three to five days of steeping, then cooking and pounding.
Can I make Akpu at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The steeping that sours the cassava is the same step that detoxifies it, and shortening it — the obvious thing an impatient cook does — is the documented route to cassava poisoning.
What goes into Akpu?
Cassava tubers, water.
How is Akpu eaten?
Rolled into balls and dipped into ofe nsala, egusi or bitterleaf soup.
