Idoma traditional food: Okoho soup
Idoma traditional food is represented by its unique dish called Okoho soup. This treat has its own peculiarities and even some hitches. The Okoho soup is made of a cognominal Okoho plant, which is the major ingredient and renders a special touch to the look and taste of the dish. So. let's find out what is Idoma food culture.
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Recipe of the Okoho soup
Now we want to introduce to you to common way to make an Okoho soup. You will need:
- medium-sized stick of Okoho plant - 1 pcs;
- medium-sized dried fish (preferably dried catfish);
- dried pepper - 1/2 tablespoon;
- locust beans;
- melon seeds - 200 g;
- onions - 1 pcs;
- crawfish - 1 pcs;
- Knorr cubes - 2 pcs;
- beef or dried bushmeat (preferably grass cutter) - 250 g;
- salt;
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First, you need to prepare Okoho stick. Wash it and remove the white layer by scraping the stem lightly with a knife or a special peeling tool. Strip the stick into very thin strands and separate the thread-like layer. Then cut off the thick stem in the middle. Now you have to wrap the Okoho strands into a bundle and place them into a container stuffed with boiled hot water. Leave it to steep for approximately 10-15 minutes.
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Wait until the water simmers down a little bit. Now you have to obtain very viscous and stringy liquid at the expense of pressing and squeezing the sap. When you are done, take the stripes out of this liquid and put them apart. But don't get rid of the liquid. We will use it later.
Now, blanch the grass cutter meat or beef with onions. Season it with ground pepper, seasoning cubes, and salt. Bring it to the boil. When the meat is partially boiled, pestle the locust beans until they obtain a uniform consistency and add them to the saucepan. Next, add dried fish and leave it for an additional 20 minutes.
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Next step is grinding melon seeds together with crawfish until uniform consistency. Put the mixture inside a bowl, pour with hot water in order to make a very dense paste. Now, start mixing till the oil from melon seeds starts to come out. Next, form small balls from the paste. Cook them in a saucepan until they become solid to the touch. Then remove the balls and meat out of the water using a slotted spoon.
Now it is time to add a liquid from Okoho to the saucepan with boiling stock. Set your stove power on a minimum level and leave it for about 8-10 minutes. Mix soup thoroughly for 5 minutes. And finally, add the meat to the saucepan with broth. Mix again for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat.
Traditional Okoho soup: top facts
For Idoma people such delicacy is Okoho soup is made of the unusual Okoho plant, game meat, and many other additional ingredients. Okoho soup is properly served with pounded yam, which is also typical of their traditional cuisine.
That is why there is even a specific technique for eating this soup. It can be said to be the foremost in the class of draw soups that form part of the delicacies of the West African people. You should eat it with hands in order to prevent the Okoho stem from cleaving to your fingers and stumbling out your plate.
So what is an Okoho plant, the key component of the soup?
Okoho plant is an herbaceous plant with a long stem that usually originates as a wild plant in most parts of the Savanah belt, especially the North-central area. You can meet other names for this plant in the different regions. For example, Edumoga people can call it Olicho, Ibo and Igala people also call it Okoho, and Yoruba people usually call it Orogbulo or Ajara.
So, the soup is made of its stem, which looks greenish at the beginning of its growth. As time passes it starts getting whiter, and when it is ready for consumption the stem is entirely white. Okoho plant is accessible summer.
By the way, the Okoho plant is also extremely remedial and can treat digestion problems. So, if you are experiencing an uncleared bowel, consumption of Okoho soup will solve your problem.
And now your soup is finally ready. You can serve it with pounded or fried yams. Enjoy your meal!
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Source: Legit.ng
