Afang Soup In Three Easy Steps

 

Afang is my favourite soup and if I had to survive on just one food, it would be afang and any swallow.

Afang is an Ibibio/Efik soup. Made with waterleaf and afang leaves, some people say the soup is not just delicious but nutritious and medicinal.

INGREDIENTS

Afang (what Igbos call okazi)
- Waterleaf
- Meat (goat meat and cow leg)
- Dry fish
- Smoke panla
- Stock fish
- Unshelled periwinkles
- Palm oil
- Scotch bonnet (yellow)
- Ground prawn and crayfish
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt (to taste)

NOTE

1)If you have spent time wondering why your afang soup turns out bitter, I want you to know it is beyond your control. There are bitter afang leaves, the darker (greener) it is, the more bitter it turns out. Let’s blame it on chlorophyll. So, go for the lighter leaves. Please don’t buy an unnecessarily dry leaf.

2)I advise you to use goat meat and any other meat of your choice. The reason being that goat meat accentuates the taste of afang soup. The rule is, if you want the meat to influence the taste of the soup/food - use goat meat.

3) An Ibibio/Efik person would say it is sacrilege to use shelled periwinkles. I’ll say if unshelled periwinkles freaks you out, please use shelled ones.  

4) Afang is a capital intensive soup. The rich taste comes from the plenty of fish and rich stock.

5) There is no afang without oil. Please be generous with palm oil.

6) You don’t use onions, ginger and garlic in afang, but you can try and let me know how it goes.