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Ofe Onugbu

Also known as Ofe Onugbu (Igbo Funeral Soup — Ceremonial Version)

At Igbo funerals, title-taking ceremonies and major community celebrations, Ofe Onugbu is always the soup of prestige — prepared in large quantities that demonstrate the family's wealth and generosity. The ceremonial version of this soup differs from the everyday preparation in its extraordinary scale, the exceptional quality of all ingredients, and the care and deliberateness with which it is prepared.

Ofe Onugbu, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 15 to 20 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf, washed and squeezed 6 to 7 times
  • 1 whole goat, cut into pieces
  • 2 big pieces of assorted beef (tripe, ponmo, ribs)
  • 4 big handfuls of premium stockfish (okporoko), soaked
  • 4 big handfuls of smoked catfish (eja aran), soaked and deboned
  • 6 cooking spoons of red palm oil
  • 10 medium cocoyams, boiled and pounded — for thickening
  • 6 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 6 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 2 big tablespoons of ogiri okpei (fermented castor seed)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ehuru
  • 3 big onions, sliced
  • 6 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Community Washing of the Bitter Leaf. The bitter leaf must be washed in many changes of water — 6 to 7 washes minimum — by multiple people working simultaneously. At an Igbo ceremony, this task is done communally, with women taking turns squeezing and rinsing until the leaves are pleasantly bitter. This communal washing is itself a ceremonial act.

  2. 02

    Cooking All the Meat and Fish. Season and cook the whole goat and all assorted beef in enormous pots with onion, seasoning cubes and salt for 40 to 50 minutes until all proteins are tender. Add stockfish for the last 20 minutes. Reserve all the combined, deeply flavoured stock.

  3. 03

    Pounding the Cocoyam. Boil all cocoyams until very soft. Pound in a large mortar until completely smooth. This is another communal task at Igbo ceremonies — the pounding of cocoyam in a large mortar by young men is a traditional part of the funeral preparation.

  4. 04

    Building the Ceremonial Soup. Heat palm oil in the largest available pot. Add ogiri, ground ehuru and blended Atarodo. Fry for 12 minutes. Add all cooked meat, stockfish and smoked catfish. Pour in the combined meat stock. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer.

  5. 05

    Thickening with Cocoyam. Add the pounded cocoyam in large pieces to the soup, stirring well after each addition. Cook for 15 minutes until fully dissolved and soup is smooth and well-bodied.

  6. 06

    Adding the Bitter Leaf. Add all the washed bitter leaf. Stir through vigorously. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust all seasonings. The soup should be deeply complex — a fitting tribute to the occasion.

More festive & ceremonial dishes