Palm nut soup is a soup made from

palm fruit ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of Arecaceae, palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring ...

and it is common in the Ghanaian and Ivorian community. It originated from Akan tribe in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Palm nut soup has become a continental soup. In the Akan language (the native language of the Akan people of Ghana), Abenkwan translates to “palm nut soup”, it is an indigenous dish made and enjoyed by the different regions of Ghana for years. The soup is made from a palm cream or palm nut base. The palm cream is combined with flavorful, marinated meats, smoked dried fish, and aromatics to create a rich, deeply flavored soup that can be eaten with fufu, omotuo, banku, fonio, or rice. Palm oil is very significant to Ghanaian and other West African cuisine. This palm nut soup is called by various names in the geographical area.

By region

Cameroon

soup is a palm fruit soup in Cameroonian cuisine and West African cuisine. It is often served with

kwacoco Kwacoco, sometimes spelled kwa-coco, is a Cameroonian cuisine dish consisting in pureed cocoyam (a root crop from in Central and South America) wrapped and steamed in banana leaves. It is consumed by different ethnic groups from Cameroon, specially ...

. The soup is Cameroon's version of the West African

banga Banga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Banga'' (album), a 2012 album by Patti Smith * A song by Ali Shaheed Muhammad from the 2004 album '' Shaheedullah and Stereotypes'' * The name of Pontius Pilate's dog in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel ' ...

, a palm fruit soup eaten in areas including parts of Nigeria. In Cameroon is made using fresh palm nuts. Outside the area canned nuts can be used.

Nigeria

Eba served with Fresh fish banga soup in a clay pot

is a type of palm fruit soup from Southern (the Niger Delta) Nigeria, particularly the Urhobo ethnic group. This cuisine is quite different from , a variant found in Igbo culture. The Binis have a soup from palm fruits similar to in ingredients and manner of preparation. In Nigeria, the delicacy is used to accompany other dishes such as Starch (''Usi'') for the Urhobo people of Delta State, Nigeria, banku for Ghana. The Igbo people have the stew and soup varieties made from palm fruits. Ofe akwu is the stew variety usually taken with rice while the palm fruit extract is used especially in Anambra region of Igbo land to prepare Oha and Onugbu soup accompanied with moulding foods (popularly known as 'swallow') e.g. pounded cassava (utara/akpu), corn/cassava flour (nni oka). The palm fruit is notably important to the

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and formerly also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', * * * ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A ...

. 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 which is the main ingredient in the preparation of the Banga soup. Banga soup is flavored with , aidan fruit, rohojie, Banga spice leaves called Obenetietien (scent or bitter leaves can be substituted), a stick of oburunbebe, finely chopped onion, ground

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

, chili pepper or scotch bonnet, and salt. The soup sometimes eaten with a cocoyam (taro) pudding called ''

''. Banga Soup is mostly prepared using fresh catfish (fresh fish Banga soup) dried/smoked fish or meat. The soup can also make a delicious dish with the addition of Okra vegetable. Amiedi, also known as banga soup, is a soup eaten by the Urhobo people of

Southern Nigeria Southern Nigeria may refer to: *The southern part of Nigeria, which tends to be more Christian and animist than the Muslim north; also where most of the country's oil is located *Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British Empi ...

. It is made by extracting the liquid of palm kernels. Thereafter, other ingredients like crayfish, meat, fish, pepper and cow tripe are added. It is eaten with eba or usi (starch). ('' Elaeis guineensis'') extract.Nutritional compositions and antioxidant properties of typical Urhobo Nigerian soups
by Nyerhovwo J Tonukari, Oghenetega J Avwioroko, Guanah Seitonkumoh, Chinoye C Enuma, Samson O Sakpa, Linda Eraga, Theresa Ezedom, Ufuoma Edema, Enovwo Odiyoma, Akpovwehwee A Anigboro Vol 8, No 2 2013 Nigerian Journal of Technological Research

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 on fire Fufu with palm nut soup, snail and tilapia.JPG, Fufu with palm nut soup, snail and tilapia

References

External links