What it is
A thin, fiery broth with no thickener, built on a blend of dried seeds and barks known as pepper soup spice, with meat or fish simmered in it. It is served as a bowl of liquid rather than something to eat with a swallow.
Key ingredients
- Pepper soup spice blend (uda, uziza seeds, ehuru, gbafilo)
- Scotch bonnet pepper
- Meat, fish or offal
- Onions
- Scent leaf or basil
- Ground crayfish
- Salt
A list of what goes in, not a recipe. Quantities and method vary by household.
How it is eaten
Drunk and spooned straight from a bowl while very hot, often with a side of yam, agidi or bread and a cold drink.
Cultural significance
Pepper soup is a national dish with strong regional identities: goat meat versions in the south east and Middle Belt, catfish versions across the Delta and Lagos, and offal versions sold late into the night in bars. It is treated as restorative, served to new mothers after childbirth and to anyone with a cold, and it is the standard order alongside a cold drink.
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