West Africa · Soup

Fetridessi (Viscous Okra and Seafood Soup)

Name: Fetridessi (Viscous Okra and Seafood Soup)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Togo
Ingredients: 500 g fresh young okra pods (fetri), trimmed and finely chopped; 4 whole fresh blue crabs, cleaned, cracked, and halved; 300 g fresh large prawns or ocean shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on; 250 g smoked catfish fillets, broken into bite-sized chunks; 80 ml spiced red palm oil (dzomi); 25 g fermented locust beans (afiti or dawadawa), crushed; 20 g dried smoked shrimp powder; 2 whole red onions, finely diced; 15 g fresh ginger root, grated; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 whole kpakpo shito or habanero chilies, left whole; 2 g potash powder (edible natron or akanwu, dissolved in 20 ml warm water); fine sea salt, to taste

Glossy, viscous coastal okra soup loaded with fresh blue crabs, succulent prawns, smoked catfish, and aromatic fermented locust beans.

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togookraseafood-souptraditional

The story

A crown jewel of Southern Togolese Ewe culinary tradition, Fetridessi is prepared for communal evening feasts alongside freshly pounded akumé (fermented corn paste). Coastal cooks chop fresh young okra pods by hand into tiny cubes rather than blending them, ensuring the soup retains structural viscosity and body without becoming watery. The addition of a microscopic pinch of traditional edible rock natron (akanwu) softens the vegetable fibers instantly and locks in a brilliant, jewel-green color.

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