West Africa · Soup
Sauce Kopè (Sticky Okra and Crab Broth)
Viscous, savory coastal Ivorian okra broth enriched with fresh lagoon crabs, smoked fish, and red palm oil.
The story
Sauce Kopè is the ultimate coastal comfort soup of the Ebrié and Alladian lagoon communities surrounding Abidjan. Traditionally brewed in earthenware canaris and served boiling hot with placali, it honors the daily bounty of the Ébrié Lagoon. The signature sticky viscosity is enhanced using a tiny pinch of food-grade potash (kaun), which alkalizes the broth and extracts mucilage from fresh young okra without discoloring its emerald hue.
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