Egusi Soup: A Royal Feast For Any Day

The taste of Egusi soup cuts across ethnic groups in Nigeria as it is prepared with different methods. The key ingredient remains the same - egusi.

Eba and Egusi soup: best enjoyed by hand!

Egusi soup is often enjoyed with eba (pictured here), pounded yam or amala, and often eaten with the hands. It is believed eating with your hands makes the experience more enjoyable than using cutlery.

Ingredient 1: Egusi seeds

Egusi or melon seeds are the main ingredients of the popular Egusi soup, which usually is prepared to accompany starchy food such as pounded yam.

Pre-shelled Egusi (melon) seeds are often readily available in the open Nigerian markets and are expected to be cooked soon after being bought.

Egusi seeds, when properly stored with their shells, can last for very long periods of time. The shells prevent moisture from getting to the seeds. If the seeds are shelled, they do not last as long and quickly pick up moisture and become mouldy.

Grounding the Egusi seeds

Egusi seeds are often ground when used in soups. They should be used immediately, but if stored in very cold temperatures, they can last up to a month and still retain their taste.

Ingredient 2: Tomatoes and peppers

Fresh tomatoes and peppers are bought at the market and blended.

Ingredient 3: Ground crayfish

Crayfish is an essential ingredient in Nigerian cooking, especially used in the southern states. Crayfish can be sun-dried and smoked - and, here, ground for Egusi soup.

Ingredient 4: Deboned stockfish

Stockfish is a staple food filled with protein and vitamins. It is a key part of the Nigerian culinary identity.

Ingredient 5: Deboned smoked fish

Smoked fish adds flavour to the soup. Fishmongers roast the fish with a small flame, in smoky dry grass, bringing out a unique taste.

Ingredient 6: Pumpkin leaves or Ugu

Known for its health benefits and flavour, ugu (Telfairia occidentalis) is used by many tribes across Nigeria. It is high in vitamin and mineral. The plant grows in abundance.

Ingredient 7: Smoked catfish

Catfish farming is a large industry in Nigeria, and catfish is sold at every market. Catfishes have barbels, which resemble cat whiskers.

Ingredient 8: Cow offal

Offal is commonly known as "inu eran" in Yoruba language and consists of the inner organs of a cow. Inu eran adds texture and flavour to the soup.

Preparing the soup

When the ingredients are ready, palm oil is placed in a pot and allowed to heat up. Pepper (scotch bonnet) and onions are blended and added to the oil.

Adding the blended tomatoes and peppers

The blended mixture of tomatoes and pepper is then added to the pot containing heated palm oil.

In goes the crayfish

Blended crayfish is added to the soup for flavour.

Then, the smoked fish

The smoked fish is then added.

The Cow Offal is next

The cow offal "inu eran" is added to the pot of soup.

Sprinkling the Egusi

Ground Egusi is sprinkled to the sauce to avoid Egusi lumps in the soup.

Adding vegetables

Vegetables, preferably sliced pumpkin leaves, are added to the mix.

And stirred together...

Ready to be shared

Egusi soup is often enjoyed with balls of pounded yam or other starchy foods like eba and amala.