West Africa · Soup
Miyan Geda (Slow-Simmered Groundnut and Beef Soup)
A rich, velvety Nigerien groundnut soup layered with tender bone-in beef, smoked fish, garden egg bitter greens, and fermented locust beans.
The story
Cherished throughout the southern agrarian belts of Niger, from Dosso to Tahoua and Maradi, Miyan Geda is the centerpiece of Friday communal dinners and festive family gatherings. While peanut stews appear across West Africa, the Nigerien Hausa preparation is distinct for its delicate balance of rich groundnut lipids with tart dried sorrel or bitter garden egg leaves (yakuwa or gauta). Traditional cooks roast the raw Sahelian groundnuts in hot wood ashes before milling them, which lends an unmistakable nutty depth and prevents the soup from tasting cloying.
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