Palm nut soup
{{Short description|Soup made from palm fruit}}
File:Palm nut soup close up 02.jpg
Palm nut soup or banga is a soup made from palm fruit{{cite book | last=Saffery | first=D. | title=The Ghana Cookery Book | publisher=Jeppestown Press | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-9553936-6-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tSVcQFoIsDIC&pg=PA50|page=50}}{{cite book | last=Yussif | first=E. | title=The Facet of Black Culture | publisher=Trafford Publishing | issue=v. 1 | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4669-8847-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ueo4AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA53|page=53}} common in the Cameroonian, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivorian communities. The soup is made from a palm cream or palm nut base with stewed marinated meats, smoked dried fish, and aromatics. It is often eaten with starch, fufu, omotuo, banku, fonio, or rice. The use of the palm fruit in cooking is significant in Ivorian,
Cameronian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian and other West and Central African cuisine.
By region
= Cameroon =
{{lang|fr|Mbanga|italic=yes}} soup is a palm fruit soup in Cameroonian cuisine{{Cite book|last=Osseo-Asare|first=Fran|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1s-a7EMM6BgC&dq=Mbanga+soup&pg=PA147|title=Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=November 24, 2005|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313324888|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|last1=Crush|first1=Jonathan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41UiDQAAQBAJ&dq=Mbanga+soup&pg=PA147|title=Rapid Urbanisation, Urban Food Deserts and Food Security in Africa|last2=Battersby|first2=Jane|date=September 23, 2016|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783319435671|via=Google Books}} and West African cuisine.{{Cite web|date=February 13, 2013|title=Mbanga/Palmnut Soup|url=https://www.africanbites.com/mbangapalmnut-soup/}} It is often served with kwacoco. The soup is Cameroon's version of the West African banga, a palm fruit soup eaten in areas including parts of Nigeria. In Cameroon {{lang|fr|mbanga|italic=no}} is made using fresh palm nuts. Outside the area canned nuts can be used.{{Cite web|url=http://www.congocookbook.com/soup-and-stew-recipes/mbanga-palm-nut-soup/|title=Mbanga (Palm Nut) Soup|date=Jul 21, 2018|access-date=Jul 11, 2021}}
= Nigeria =
File:Eba served with Fresh fish banga soup in a clay pot.jpg
File:Eating Banga (Pam Seed) Rice..jpg
{{lang|urh|Banga|italic=no}} is a type of palm fruit soup from Southern (the Niger Delta) Nigeria, particularly the Urhobo ethnic group.{{cite web | url=https://allnigerianfoods.com/banga-soup/ | title=Banga Soup | Original Recipe from Delta State Nigeria }} This cuisine is quite different from {{lang|ig|ofe akwu|italic=no}}, a variant found in Igbo culture. The Binis have a soup from palm fruits similar to {{lang|ig|ofe akwu|italic=no}} in ingredients and manner of preparation.{{Cite web|title=Banga Soup (Ofe Akwu)|url=https://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/soups/banga-soup/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=All Nigerian Recipes|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2015-09-22|title=Ofe Akwu - Igbo Style Banga Soup|url=https://sisijemimah.com/2015/09/22/ofe-akwu/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=Sisi Jemimah|language=en-GB}} The Urhobo people’s palm nut soup is called ame adi.{{Cite web |title=Six Savoury and Sumptuous Soups |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/six-savoury-and-sumptuous-soups/6QUBPDixwYYcKA |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}}
In Nigeria, this soup accompanies dishes such as starch (usi) for the Urhobo people of Delta State, Nigeria. The Igbo people have the stew and soup varieties made from palm fruits. Ofe akwu is the stew variety usually eaten with rice while the palm fruit extract is used especially in Anambra state to prepare oha and onugbu soup accompanied with moulding foods (popularly known as 'swallow'), such as pounded cassava (utara/akpu) and corn/cassava flour (nni oka).
The palm fruit is often harvested from locally grown palm fruit trees, after which it is thoroughly washed, boiled and mashed for the extraction of its oil, the main ingredient in the preparation of banga soup.
Banga soup is flavored with {{not a typo|beletete}}, aidan fruit, rohojie, spice leaves called obenetietien (scent or bitter leaves can be substituted), a stick of oburunbebe, finely chopped onion, ground crayfish, chili pepper or Scotch bonnet, and salt.[http://www.nigerianfoodtv.com/2013/04/how-to-make-banga-soup-urhobo-banga-soup.html How to make Banga Soup : Efik Banga Soup] by Nky Lily Lete April 2013 Nigerian Food TV The soup is eaten with starch made with cassava and palm oil or rice in southern parts of Nigeria. Banga soup is mostly prepared using fresh catfish, dried or smoked fish, or meat. Okra may be added.{{Cite book|last=Saffery|first=David|title=The Ghana Cookery Book|publisher=Jeppestown Press|year=2007|isbn=9780955393662|pages=50, 51}}
Ame adi, also known as banga soup, is a soup eaten by the Urhobo people of Southern Nigeria. It is made by extracting the liquid of palm kernels. {{Cite web |title=How to prepare Banga Soup or Obe Eyin |url=https://igboists.forumotion.com/t10-how-to-prepare-banga-soup-or-obe-eyin |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=igboists.forumotion.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Six Savoury and Sumptuous Soups |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/six-savoury-and-sumptuous-soups/6QUBPDixwYYcKA |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=9jafoodie |date=2014-12-15 |title=Iresi Eyin- Yoruba Style Local Jollof |url=https://9jafoodie.com/iresi-eyin-yoruba-style-local-jollof/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=9jafoodie {{!}} Nigerian Food Recipes |language=en-US}} Thereafter, other ingredients like crayfish, meat, fish, pepper and cow tripe are added. It is eaten with eba or usi (starch). (Elaeis guineensis) extract.{{cite web | url=http://www.sisiyemmie.com/2014/08/banga-soup-recipe-and-starch-niger.html?m=1 | title=Banga Soup Recipe and Starch - the Niger Delta Way!!! }}
Gallery
Palm nut soup with fish.jpg|Palm nut soup with fish
Palm nut soup.jpg|Palm nut soup
Akan Ghanaian Palm Nut Soup.jpg|Akan Ghanaian palm nut soup
Palm nut soup close up.jpg|Palm nut soup close up
Palm nut soup on fire.jpg|Palm nut soup
Fufu with palm nut soup, snail and tilapia.JPG|Fufu with palm nut soup, snail and tilapia
See also
{{portal|Food|Nigeria}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.kadiafricanrecipes.com/palm-nut-soup.html Palm nut soup recipe]
- [http://www.ghananation.com/recipes/Palmnut-Soup.asp Palm Nut Soup]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKdHaVvxUk Video: How to make Palmnut Soup (GH)]
{{Soups}}