Ukodo (Yam and Plantain Pepper Soup Pottage), plated

West Africa · Main

Ukodo (Yam and Plantain Pepper Soup Pottage)

A fragrant Urhobo and Itsekiri pepper soup pottage simmered with tender yam chunks, semi-ripe plantains, goat meat, and traditional Delta aromatics.

delta-stateurhobo-delicacygoat-meatyam-pottage

The story

Ukodo is the quintessential breakfast and celebration food of the Urhobo and Itsekiri peoples of Nigeria's western Niger Delta. Commonly prepared outdoors in large cast-iron pots during wedding mornings and communal assemblies, it provides invigorating heat and rich sustenance. Technically, it diverges from standard clear pepper soups by cooking raw yams and plantains directly in the spiced broth, using their released starches to naturally body the liquid into a hearty pottage.

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