On the 8th of March 2019, clarion call took me to Akwa Ibom shortly after I graduated from the University. As soon as I got my posting letter and saw Akwa Ibom, I knew I was in for a food adventure.

Indeed, my expectation was met during my one-year compulsory assignment. This is how my romance with the soup began; now I can talk and even give people the Afang Soup recipe as I picked it from Akwa Ibom.

The night I arrived in the beautiful city of Uyo the capital of Akwa Ibom, I was totally exhausted and hungry….So, I had to visit the restaurant. My first food was Afang soup plus Garri (Eba). I had not tasted the soup before and I decided to give it a try since it had always been talked about as a super soup by many who have been opportune to have a bite. 

As it was served, not only did the soup look so attractive, but it also smelled nice. With enthusiasm, I took the first ball of Eba with the soup. It took me by surprise. Tasty was an understatement.

As a young man who had lived his entire life majorly in Igboland, none of their soups tasted this great. As stay with the indigenes during my service year, I had to learn the nitty-gritty of how the soup is prepared to taste the Akwa Ibom way. 

Follow the recipe and all included below and your very nutritious Afang soup is ready.

Ingredients for Cooking Afang Soup

1. About 1kg of goat meat, 0.5kg of Stockfish, and two big African snails (Optional)

2. Half a tin cup of Crayfish, Seasoning cubes, preferably Knorr (To make it delicious)

3. Pepper, Yellow Pepper, and Salt

4. A small amount of beef (optional), dry fish, 250g of kpomo (Cow skin), Onions (1-2 bulbs depending on size), and periwinkle.

5. Water as needed.

6. Finally, Water leaves and Afang leaves as needed.

Pre-cooking Steps Involved in Cooking Afang Soup

Step 1: Wash properly your goat meat, beef, kpomo, snail (with lime or potash), and stock fish ( in salty hot water for a few minutes). Keep your goat meat, beef, kpomo, and snail meat in a cooking pot after they have been washed properly.

Step 2: Wash, drain, and chop the Water leaves and Afang leaves. The sliced Afang leaves have to be ground.

Step 3: In a different bowl, wash and dice onions and some pepper

Important Note: Don’t forget to properly wash your hands before handling the food items.

How to Prepare the Popular Afang Soup

The following steps will guide you in cooking the Afang soup the way people of Akwa Ibom state prepare it.

1. Place your washed meats in step 1 above on low heat and cook until the meats are tender. Don’t forget to add an adequate amount of water, diced onions, pepper, and salt. After the meats are tender, add your washed stock fish and cook for about a minute or two. Ensure you have enough stock water.

2. Add palm oil and allow it to boil for two minutes.

3. Add the diced water leaves and allow to cook for about three minutes

4. Add other ingredients like Maggi (seasoning), crayfish, and periwinkle and allow to boil before adding the Afang leaves. Taste the soup to know if there is a need to add more salt. Allow to cook for about three minutes. Ensure the leaves still possess greenness.

5. The Afang soup is ready to be served.

Afang soup has medicinal purposes for sore throats, nausea, and loss of appetite. It is a rich source of vitamins filled with essential and non-essential amino acids. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Go now and give it a try.