The short answer
Abacha is a much-loved dish of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, made from cassava that has been cooked, shredded into fine strips and dried. In its most famous form it is dressed into a rich, savoury dish often called African salad, in which the softened cassava strips are mixed with a sauce of red palm oil thickened with potash, along with ugba, or oil bean, sliced garden egg leaves, ground crayfish, pepper, seasoning, and toppings such as fish, meat, kpomo and garden eggs. It is served as a hearty snack, a starter or a full meal. In the UK the dried abacha and its trimmings are sold by African food shops.
What to remember
- Abacha is made from cassava, cooked, shredded into fine strips and dried.
- In its most famous form it is dressed into a savoury dish often called African salad.
- The dressing is red palm oil thickened with potash, with ugba, garden egg leaves, crayfish, pepper and seasoning.
- It is topped with fish, meat, kpomo and garden eggs, and eaten as a snack, starter or meal.
- The dried abacha and its trimmings are sold by African food shops in the UK.
For Igbo people in Britain, abacha is home on a plate. It is the African salad at a family gathering, the small chop with a cold drink, the creamy palm-oil dressing and the tang of ugba and the fresh bite of garden egg leaves, the flavours of the southeast that say home. Assembling a bowl of abacha far from home brings back the parties and the visits and the eating houses, the familiar savoury richness that carries the warmth of home straight to the table.
There is heritage in it too. Abacha carries the cassava traditions of the Igbo, the shredding and drying of the root, the art of emulsifying palm oil with potash, the pairing with ugba and garden egg leaves, and to make it is to keep that knowledge alive. Dressing a generous abacha and sharing it with family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to African salad for the first time, is an act of welcome and belonging. That rich, tangy, savoury taste of home is the quiet gift of abacha.
What is abacha?
Abacha is one of the signature foods of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, a dish with two faces. Strictly, abacha is the main ingredient itself: cassava that has been boiled, shredded into fine, noodle-like strips and dried into a pale, papery form that keeps well. In everyday use, though, abacha means the finished dish made from it, the rich and savoury preparation widely known as African salad, in which the dried cassava is soaked to soften and then dressed with a flavourful sauce and a generous array of toppings.
Calling it a salad can be a little misleading to a newcomer, because it is not a bowl of raw leaves but a substantial, savoury, palm-oil-dressed dish, closer to a dressed noodle or grain salad in spirit. It is hearty and full of flavour, eaten as a filling snack, a starter or a meal in its own right, and it is a fixture at Igbo gatherings and eating houses. Abacha comes from cassava, the same versatile root behind garri and many other staples, which you can read about in our guide to cassava.
The dried cassava that makes it
To understand abacha, it helps to understand how it is made from cassava. Fresh cassava root is peeled and boiled, then sliced very thinly and shredded into fine strips, which are soaked and washed and then dried in the sun until pale and papery. This drying is what turns perishable cassava into the long-keeping abacha that can be stored and sold, and it is why the dried product looks so different from the fresh root. Before use, the dried abacha is simply soaked in water, or briefly in warm water, until the strips soften and separate, ready to dress.
The result is a mild, slightly chewy base with little flavour of its own, which is exactly the point, because it carries the rich dressing and toppings beautifully. This is much like other cassava products, where the root is processed and dried into a shelf-stable staple, part of the wider family of cassava foods we cover in our guide to cassava. The neutral, springy cassava strips are the canvas, and the sauce and trimmings are what make abacha the beloved dish it is.
How it became africa salad
The step from plain soaked cassava to the celebrated African salad is all in the dressing, and this is where abacha comes alive. The softened cassava is mixed with a rich, orange sauce made from red palm oil that has been thickened and emulsified with a little potash, or edible akanwu, which turns the oil into a smooth, creamy dressing that coats every strand. Into this go the flavourings that define the dish: ugba, the sliced fermented oil bean with its distinctive savoury tang, ground crayfish, chilli pepper, ground pepper seeds such as ehuru, seasoning, and sliced garden egg leaves for a fresh, slightly bitter green note.
On top come the trimmings, which vary with the occasion and the cook. Common additions include flaked smoked or dried fish, pieces of meat or kpomo, which is cooked cow skin, sliced garden eggs, onions and sometimes ponmo and stockfish, making the dish as generous or as simple as you like. Because it so often contains fish, seafood and oil bean, anyone with an allergy should check what a particular plate contains. Assembled together, the creamy palm-oil dressing, the tangy ugba, the fresh garden egg leaves and the savoury toppings turn humble dried cassava into a rich, layered, deeply satisfying dish.
How is abacha eaten?
Abacha is wonderfully flexible in how it is served, which is part of why it is so loved. It is eaten as a snack or small chop at parties and gatherings, served in small portions to nibble alongside drinks, and it is equally at home as a starter or a full, filling meal in a larger portion. It is usually eaten at room temperature or slightly warm, dressed and assembled just before serving so the cassava stays springy and the garden egg leaves stay fresh. A cold drink alongside is traditional and welcome.
Because it keeps well in its dried form and needs only soaking and dressing, abacha is practical as well as delicious, quick to put together once you have the trimmings ready. It is a favourite at Igbo social occasions, from casual visits to big celebrations, where a bowl of well-dressed African salad is always popular. For anyone new to Igbo food, abacha is a fascinating and tasty introduction, unlike anything in the British repertoire, and best enjoyed freshly dressed with all its toppings.
Where to buy abacha in the UK
Making abacha at home in Britain is very doable, because the dried cassava and its trimmings are sold in African food shops that serve Nigerian, and especially Igbo, communities. The key ingredient is the dried abacha itself, usually sold in bags and sometimes labelled abacha or African salad, ready to soak. Alongside it you will find the things that dress it: red palm oil, potash or akanwu, ugba, ground crayfish, pepper, garden egg leaves, dried and smoked fish, kpomo and stockfish.
If you are new to abacha, the shopkeeper can point you to the dried cassava, explain how to soak it, and help you gather the palm oil, potash, ugba and toppings that make the African salad. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you. Some Nigerian restaurants and party caterers also serve abacha, which is a good way to taste it before assembling your own.
Frequently asked questions
What is abacha?
Abacha is a dish of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria made from cassava that has been cooked, shredded into fine strips and dried. In its most famous form it is dressed into a rich, savoury dish often called African salad, with a red palm oil sauce, ugba, garden egg leaves, crayfish, pepper and toppings such as fish and meat.
Why is abacha called African salad?
Abacha is called African salad because, in its dressed form, the softened cassava strips are tossed with a sauce, fresh garden egg leaves and various toppings, much as a salad is dressed and assembled. It is not a bowl of raw leaves but a substantial, savoury, palm-oil-dressed dish eaten as a snack, starter or meal.
What is abacha made from?
Abacha is made from cassava. Fresh cassava is boiled, sliced thinly and shredded into fine strips, then soaked, washed and dried in the sun into a pale, papery, long-keeping form. Before use, the dried abacha is soaked in water until the strips soften, ready to be dressed into the finished dish.
What is abacha eaten with?
The soaked cassava is dressed with red palm oil thickened with potash, ugba, or oil bean, ground crayfish, pepper, seasoning and sliced garden egg leaves, then topped with smoked or dried fish, meat, kpomo, sliced garden eggs and onions. It is eaten as a snack, starter or full meal, often with a cold drink.
Where can I buy abacha in the UK?
African food shops serving Nigerian and Igbo communities sell the dried abacha, sometimes labelled African salad, ready to soak, along with the red palm oil, potash, ugba, crayfish, pepper, garden egg leaves and dried fish to dress it. The shopkeeper can explain how to soak the cassava and gather the toppings. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.
