Okoho is the main traditional food peculiar to the

Idoma people The Idomas are people that primarily inhabit the lower western areas of Benue State, Nigeria, and some of them can be found in Taraba State, Cross Rivers State, Enugu State, Kogi State and Nasarawa State in Nigeria. The Idoma language is classi ...

of Benue State, Central Nigeria. It is made from the plant ''

Cissus populnea ''Cissus'' is a genus of approximately 350 species of lianas ( woody vines) in the grape family (Vitaceae). They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics. Uses Medicinal ''Cissus quadrangularis'' has ...

'' belonging to the family Amplidaceae (

Vitaceae The Vitaceae are a family of flowering plants, with 14 genera and around 910 known species, including common plants such as grapevines (''Vitis'' spp.) and Virginia creeper (''Parthenocissus quinquefolia''). The family name is derived from the ge ...

). It is a soup made from the Okoho stick which is very slimy after preparation. It is usually prepared with

bush meat Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tro ...

(such as grass-cutter, alligator and smoked meat etc.) and best served with pounded yam (aka Onihi). It can also be eaten with

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Etymo ...

, eba (made from

garri In West Africa, ''garri (also known as gari, galli'', or ''gali)'' is the flour of the fresh starchy cassava root. In the Hausa language, ''garri'' can also refer to the flour of guinea corn, maize, rice, yam, plantain and millet. For ...

) and yam flour. This soup is usually prepared without the use of oil. It is the most respected and demanded food in all Idoma events such as; traditional weddings, burial ceremonies, birthdays and other festivities. Okoho soup is highly medicinal and also known for its ability to aid digestion. Other Nigerian tribes such as Ibos and Igalas also refer to it as Okoho, while the stick is known as Ajara or Orogbolo by the Yoruba tribes of northern and southern Nigeria. The Hausas usually call it Dafara.

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{{commonscatinline Nigerian cuisine African soups