Edikaikong soup

Edikaikong soup

When last did you have Edikaikong soup?

Preparing Edikaikong, a local Calabar soup in Cross River State, may be demanding but you will be glad you did.

It is enjoyed by people across

different parts of Nigeria. Many people think Edikaikong is expensive, but you can still enjoy it at a moderate cost.

The soup is made with a variety of locally-grown green vegetables, generous variety of meat and sea foods.

Water leaf vegetable, rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre is an important ingredient.

You also need pumpkin leaves (Uwgu) to prepare Edikaikong. Some people may add another type of vegetable.

For a perfect result however, you need to learn how the soup is prepared; especially if you are preparing it for the first time.

Edikaikong is usually cooked without adding water and it may be eaten with pounded yam, fufu, eba, semo, rice, yam porridge and so on.

Ingredients

•Pumpkin leaves

•Water leaves

•Beef

•Snail

•Cow leg

•Cow skin (Ponmo)

•Dry fish

•Pepper

•Ground crayfish

•Palm oil

•Periwinkle

•Prawn

•Onions

•Seasoning

•Salt

Method

•Wash and cut the pumpkin and water leaves into tiny pieces

•Put them in separate sieves and leave to drain some water

•Cut the cow skin into small pieces

•Dress snail and cut as desired

•Wash, season and cook the beef, snail, cow skin and leg

•Add dried fish to the stock

•When cooked, add some palm oil to the pot

•The crayfish and dried pepper should go in at this point

•Allow to cook for about 10 minutes

•Note that the palm oil serves as water for the soup

•Add the periwinkle and water leaves and leave to cook for another five minutes

•Don’t overcook vegetables

•Add the pumpkin leaves and salt to taste

•Stir the contents in the pot well and turn off the heat

•Cover the pot and leave for five minutes

•Serve