Central Africa · Soup
Bouillon de Mâchoiron (Spiced Catfish Pepper Soup)
A fiery, aromatic coastal Gabonese broth swimming with tender river catfish, fragrant country onions, and crushed indigenous spices.
The story
In the coastal Estuary province and across Port-Gentil, this aromatic pepper soup is simmered at dawn by fishermen and sold in neighborhood maquis late into the night. Traditionally cherished by the Myènè and Mpongwe peoples as an invigorating restorative tonic, it balances the rich fattiness of river catfish with wild forest aromatics. A technical secret is thoroughly scrubbing the catfish with coarse sea salt and fresh lime juice to strip the exterior mucus without bruising the delicate white flesh.
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