Egusi Soup

Egusi soup is a traditional soup from Nigeria and one of the most popular soup for the Igbo people. Egusi seeds are fat and protein seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants, the soup is thickened with grounded egusi seeds and have local variations of making the soup. The seed is accompanied with special ingredients such as water, palm oil which is popular with the Igbo’s, vegetable leaves such as (Ughu) and water leaves which are all common in Nigeria. meats such as cow meat, goat meat, lamb meat, chicken and turkey meat and fish such as crayfish, shrimps dry fish (okwporoko) etc. it turns out as spicy yellow and thick soup

Egusi soup goes well with fufu, garri and pounded yam, but the main traditional of them all is fufu. Egusi soup is highly rich in protein and is more like a nice evening dinner. It can also be served in ceremonies in this day and age because many people enjoy having it in occasions.

The soup contains some simple ingredients which is a mandatory egusi seed for a lovely original taste, vegetables and spice. one can add more than one meat if the want and all kinds of dry fish which enhance the foods taste. Melon or Pumpkin seeds can be used as equivalent mostly for people leaving outside Nigeria, but it said doesn’t give that original taste of the right seed.

Egusi soup originated from the Igbo people of South East Nigeria. Egusi comes from a specific type of melon grown in West Africa, the eastern part of Nigeria especially. Egusi soup just like other West African soups are mostly used as sauce for eating fufu, the most popular stable food among the Igbo’s. Fufu can be made using cassava, African yams, potatoes, corn meal, plantains, rice, Millet, wheat flour and semolina. Fufu gets its name from the fermented cassava variety. Another cassava based fufu meal is Garri which can also be used to eat our so beloved egusi soup.

Today, Igbo people have circulated in different parts of the world, they keep their tradition by trying to make their beloved egusi soup. It can be done with other seeds apart from the original, other leaves such as spinach and other cassava products such as ground rice to help bring body and soul together. They make it in most occasions and also encourage friends of other origin to try the dish.