Recipes & Culture

Every Recipe
Has a Story

Discover the origin, cultural significance, and simple step-by-step preparation for each of our African soup mix kits.

Egusi SoupOgbono SoupOha SoupOfada Soup
Nigeria — Igbo & Yoruba communities

Egusi Soup

The Soup of Celebration

⏱ 30 min👥 Serves 4📊 Easy

Cultural Origin

Nigeria — Igbo & Yoruba communities

Traditional Occasion

Weddings, naming ceremonies, family gatherings

Symbolism

Abundance, hospitality, and community

Authentic Egusi soup — rich and hearty West African melon soup

The Story Behind the Soup

Egusi soup has long been a centrepiece of celebration in Igbo and Yoruba households across Nigeria. Made from ground melon seeds, Egusi is a symbol of abundance, hospitality, and the joy of community. Traditionally, it is served at weddings, naming ceremonies, and family gatherings — moments where love and unity are shared around the table.

Its rich, nutty flavour represents the generosity of the land and the creativity of the African kitchen. With Ofe's Egusi Soup Mix Kit, you can bring this timeless dish to life, enjoying the same cultural richness and festive spirit in your own home.

Recipe Video — Coming Soon

What You'll Need

  • Ofe Egusi Soup Mix Kit (contains all dry ingredients)
  • Meat or fish of your choice (chicken, beef, goatmeat, stockfish, or dried fish)
  • Leafy greens (spinach or bitter leaf)
  • Palm oil (or Ofe Red Oil)
  • Salt and seasoning to taste
  • Water

How to Prepare

  1. 1Boil your meat or fish with seasoning until tender. Set aside and keep the stock.
  2. 2Heat palm oil in a pot over medium heat.
  3. 3Add the Egusi mix from your kit and stir continuously for 5–7 minutes until lightly toasted.
  4. 4Pour in the meat stock and stir well.
  5. 5Add your cooked meat or fish and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. 6Add leafy greens and cook for a further 3–5 minutes.
  7. 7Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. 8Serve hot with fufu, pounded yam, eba, or rice.
Get the Egusi Kit — £12
Nigeria — Widespread across multiple communities

Ogbono Soup

The Soup of Unity

⏱ 25 min👥 Serves 4📊 Easy

Cultural Origin

Nigeria — Widespread across multiple communities

Traditional Occasion

Everyday family meals, comfort food

Symbolism

Unity, togetherness, and comfort

The Story Behind the Soup

Ogbono soup, made from wild African mango seeds, is one of Nigeria's most beloved comfort foods. Known for its rich, thick texture, it is often enjoyed with fufu or pounded yam, bringing families together around the dining table.

Among many communities, Ogbono is considered a "soup of unity" — a dish that holds everyone together with its hearty, satisfying nature. It is simple yet powerful, earthy yet nourishing, just like the culture it comes from. With Ofe's Ogbono Soup Mix Kit, you can prepare this classic dish with ease, enjoying the depth of flavour and the spirit of togetherness it has carried for generations.

Recipe Video — Coming Soon

What You'll Need

  • Ofe Ogbono Soup Mix Kit (contains all dry ingredients)
  • Meat or fish of your choice
  • Leafy greens (spinach or bitter leaf — optional)
  • Palm oil (or Ofe Red Oil)
  • Crayfish, seasoning, and salt to taste

How to Prepare

  1. 1Boil your meat or fish with seasoning until tender. Reserve the stock.
  2. 2Heat palm oil in a pot on low-medium heat.
  3. 3Add the Ogbono mix from your kit to the oil and stir continuously for 3–4 minutes until it begins to draw (thicken).
  4. 4Add the meat stock gradually, stirring to maintain the draw texture.
  5. 5Add your cooked meat or fish and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. 6Add leafy greens if using, and cook for 3 minutes.
  7. 7Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. 8Serve hot with fufu, pounded yam, or eba.
Get the Ogbono Kit — £12
Southeastern Nigeria — Igbo people

Oha Soup

The Harvest Treasure

⏱ 35 min👥 Serves 4📊 Medium

Cultural Origin

Southeastern Nigeria — Igbo people

Traditional Occasion

Harvest season, cool evenings, family meals

Symbolism

Renewal, gratitude, and the blessings of nature

The Story Behind the Soup

Oha soup is a treasured delicacy of the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria. Made with tender Oha leaves, it is traditionally prepared during the harvest season, symbolising renewal, gratitude, and the blessings of nature.

For many families, Oha soup carries the warmth of home — a meal often enjoyed on cool evenings, shared with loved ones, and passed down through generations. Its unique flavour reflects the land it comes from: earthy yet refined, humble yet deeply satisfying. With Ofe's Oha Soup Mix Kit, you can savour the taste of tradition and reconnect with the roots of African heritage, wherever you are.

Recipe Video — Coming Soon

What You'll Need

  • Ofe Oha Soup Mix Kit (contains all dry ingredients)
  • Cocoyam (or ofor thickener, included in kit)
  • Oha leaves (or substitute with scent leaves)
  • Meat or stockfish
  • Palm oil (or Ofe Red Oil)
  • Crayfish, seasoning, and salt to taste

How to Prepare

  1. 1Boil cocoyam until soft, then pound or blend into a smooth paste (thickener).
  2. 2Boil your meat and stockfish with seasoning until tender.
  3. 3Add palm oil and the Oha spice mix from your kit.
  4. 4Stir in the cocoyam paste gradually to thicken the soup.
  5. 5Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. 6Add torn Oha leaves and cook for 2–3 minutes (do not overcook).
  7. 7Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. 8Serve hot with fufu, pounded yam, or eba.
Get the Oha Kit — £12
Ogun State, Nigeria

Ofada Soup

The Pride of the Table

⏱ 40 min👥 Serves 4📊 Medium

Cultural Origin

Ogun State, Nigeria

Traditional Occasion

Weekend meals, celebrations, special occasions

Symbolism

Cultural pride and bold Nigerian flavour

The Story Behind the Soup

Ofada sauce, also known as Ayamase or Designer Stew, originates from the Ogun State region of Nigeria and is traditionally served with locally grown Ofada rice. It is a bold, smoky, and intensely flavoured pepper stew that has become one of Nigeria's most celebrated dishes.

Served in a wrapping of banana leaves at local restaurants and celebrations, it represents the pride of Nigerian street food culture and home cooking. Rich, spicy, and deeply satisfying — Ofada sauce is a dish that commands respect at every table.

Recipe Video — Coming Soon

What You'll Need

  • Ofe Ofada Soup Mix Kit (contains all dry ingredients)
  • Assorted meat (offal, beef, or goatmeat)
  • Green peppers and Scotch bonnet (quantities in kit guide)
  • Palm oil (or Ofe Red Oil) — bleached/cooked oil recommended
  • Locust beans (iru), crayfish, and seasoning to taste

How to Prepare

  1. 1Blend green peppers and Scotch bonnet roughly (not too smooth).
  2. 2Boil your assorted meat until tender with seasoning.
  3. 3Heat palm oil until it lightens in colour (bleach lightly — 10 mins on low heat).
  4. 4Add locust beans and fry for 2 minutes.
  5. 5Add the pepper blend and Ofada spice mix from your kit. Stir well.
  6. 6Cook on medium heat for 15–20 minutes until oil rises to the top.
  7. 7Add cooked meat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  8. 8Serve with Ofada rice or white rice.
Get the Ofada Kit — £12

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