· 2 min read
Ogbono soup is made from ground wild mango seeds and stretches when you lift it. Here’s what it is and how to eat it.
Ogbono is one of the soups people either love straight away or need a second try to enjoy. It has a texture you won’t find in European cooking.
What ogbono is
Ogbono is the seed of the African wild mango, a tree that grows in West and Central Africa. The seeds are dried and ground into a powder. When the powder cooks in liquid, it thickens the soup and makes it slippery and stretchy.
Why it’s a “draw” soup
Nigerians call soups like ogbono “draw soups”, because the soup draws out in strings when you lift it. Okra soup and ewedu are draw soups too. The stretch makes the soup cling to your swallow, which is why it’s eaten that way.
What goes into it
Ogbono soup usually has:
- ground ogbono seeds
- palm oil
- peppers
- stock, meat and fish
- sometimes leafy greens or okra
What to eat it with
Like our other main dishes, ogbono on our menu comes with pounded yam, amala or eba, and your choice of beef, assorted or fish. Draw soups are easiest to eat with your fingers: pinch off some swallow, press a dent in it with your thumb and scoop. Our guide on how to eat swallow walks you through it.
If you’re new to it
If the texture puts you off at first, try egusi or efo riro instead, which are thick but don’t stretch. See our guides to egusi and efo riro.
Try it
Ogbono is in the main dishes on our menu.
Hungry?
See what’s on our menu, book a table at 13 Pier Road, or order for collection or delivery.