West Africa · Soup
Pepper Soup (Spicy Chili, Offal, and Dried Fish Broth)
A fiery, medicinal, and deeply fragrant broth loaded with tender cow tripe, goat meat, and smoked river fish.
The story
Revered across Sierra Leonean coastal towns and riverine trading settlements, Pepper Soup is consumed primarily in the evenings as a revitalizing tonic and celebrated party bowl. The aromatic base relies on indigenous forest spices such as grains of paradise and calabash nutmeg, which impart an earthy, woodsy numbness that cuts through rich meats. Seasoned cooks gently simmer the offal with parboiled dried fish to build an assertive, crystal-clear medicinal broth rather than a heavy, clouded stew.
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