These days, across southern Nigerian states, one sights restaurants with the word ‘Calabar kitchen’ boldly written on the signposts. A peep inside these restaurants will reveal customers (from Yoruba to Igbo, Edo and other non Calabar indigenes) relishing amidst sweat, a steaming plate of Abak Atam soup. Investigation by Food n’ Drinks has revealed that local food lovers are currently obsessed with Abak Atama Soup; a delicious soup popular amongst the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom State in Southern Nigeria.
Its name is derived from the two dominant ingredients: palm fruit extract (Abak) and Atama leaves. The palm kernel fruit extract used in preparing Abak Atama soup is similar to the banga soup; the Niger Delta soup and the ofe akwu, the Igbo’s most favourite soup but there are different spices and vegetables used for each of these soups.
Want to try out this food at home? Below are the recipes and steps in cooking this finger-licking soup:
- Beef
- Fresh or smoked fish
- Stockfish head (1 medium head)
- Periwinkle
- Atama leaves
- Palm fruit
- ground crayfish
- Uyayak (local spice)
- Seasoning cubes
- Pepper
- Salt to taste.
Steps on cooking Abak Atama soup
- Wash periwinkles thoroughly. Then wash and boil the palm fruits for about 30 minutes. Drain the water and pound the palm fruit until the pulp separates from the nuts.
- Boil water and add to the pounded palm fruit and mix thoroughly to separate the oily extract from the rest of the pulp, and then squeeze off the oily extract.
- Wash, cut up and season your meat, add small pepper, then steam for about 5 minutes. Then add a little water, the stockfish head continues boiling till the meat is almost cooked.
- Cut the Atama leaves into pieces. Pound them for about 10 minutes till the leaves are well pounded. Place the oily extract on the burner and allow boiling for about 5 minutes to remove all moisture.
- Add cooked meat and washed smoked fish, meat stock, periwinkle, crayfish, pepper, seasoning and Uyayak (a Calabar spice). Stir and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, add the Atama leaves and boil without stirring for another 10 minutes. Stir and add salt to taste.
- Allow to simmer minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat and serve with pounded yam, garri or fufu.
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