West Africa · Soup
Tchayo (Wild Basil and Bittersweet Herb Broth)
An intensely aromatic Beninese herbal soup combining wild clove basil and bitter leaves with simmered smoked beef, crab, and rich red palm oil broth.
The story
Cherished throughout southern Benin among Fon and Mina households, Tchayo is an aromatic, digestive broth traditionally prepared for restorative evening family dinners. The star botanical is Ocimum gratissimum (African clove basil or tchayo), an herb loaded with therapeutic essential oils like eugenol, renowned in indigenous pharmacopeia for relieving stomach fatigue. Cooked alongside smoked meats, blue land crabs, and seasoned palm oil, the soup balances distinct herbal top-notes with a rich, savory backbone.
Unlock the full recipe
Members get every recipe from all 54 nations, the AI Chef, hands-free Voice Chef and their own cookbook. Seven days free, then £4.99 a month. Cancel any time.
Cook this next
Adowè (Silky Peeled White Bean Puree with Red Palm Oil)
A velvet-smooth puree of skinned white beans crowned with fragrant, onion-infused red palm oil.
Atassi (Seasoned Rice and Beans cooked with Sorghum Sheaths)
Fragrant rice and cowpeas stained ruby-red with sorghum sheaths, served with savory spiced onion oil and shrimp powder.
Atchomon (Sweet Fried Nutmeg Crunch Bites)
Golden, rock-hard Beninese pastry nuggets fragrant with freshly grated nutmeg, sweet butter, and condensed milk, fried until deeply crisp and resonant.
Crincrin (Viscous Jute Leaf Braised Soup)
A classic southern Beninese mucilaginous soup of finely chopped jute leaves simmered with dried smoked shrimp, locust beans, and rich smoked catfish.