Ajabu: Nigerian pepper soup

Abstract

Nigerian pepper soup is to Nigerians what chicken soup is to the rest of the world. It is the soup Nigerians long for not just when it is blistering cold outside but also at celebrations of every sort; essentially it is a soup for all seasons, which definitely includes Christmas. In addition, it is believedsimilar to chicken soupto be the one-stop-cure-all dish for all ails. It is regarded as an essential remedy for flu and is superb sustenance for those recovering from malaria (and the list goes on). Despite being called pepper soup, pepper is not its main component and it does not even need to be fiery. I have always supposed that it is the little known, traditional, pepper soup spices that led to this peculiar name. Expatriates or Nigerians in diaspora without access to the ingredients have had to make do with combinations of all sorts to try and mimic the traditional spices. Where I come from, in the Delta, pepper soup is not pepper soup without ataiko, uda, gbafilo and rigije amongst others – native names for ingredients that are unique to our part of the world and commonly packaged at markets as pepper soup spice mix (although grinding it up fresh gives the best results). At home in Warri where I grew up, we would always add lemon grass leaves (without the stalks) from the