What Is Editan Soup? The Efik and Ibibio Soup Explained
Editan soup is a bitter leaf soup of the Efik and Ibibio people, rich with palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Editan soup is a traditional soup of the Efik and Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River in south eastern Nigeria, made with editan, a bitter leaf, cooked with palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle. It is a strong, richly flavoured soup, gently bitter and deeply savoury, and it has long been regarded as especially nourishing. Because it is cooked with stockfish and periwinkle, it contains fish and shellfish, so it is worth mentioning to anyone with an allergy before serving. In the UK the editan leaf, palm oil, stockfish and periwinkle to make it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Editan soup is a bitter leaf soup of the Efik and Ibibio people of south eastern Nigeria.
- It is made with editan, a bitter leaf, cooked with palm oil and assorted meat.
- Stockfish and periwinkle are traditional additions, so it contains fish and shellfish.
- It is strong and gently bitter, with a deep, savoury richness.
- It has long been seen as a nourishing, restorative soup.
A pot of editan soup on the stove, palm oil and stockfish scenting the kitchen and the dark leaf softening in the pot, is pure comfort for many Efik and Ibibio people abroad. It is the taste of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, of a mother's cooking and a soup made to build you up, of Sundays and gatherings and being cared for. Reaching for the editan leaf and periwinkle far from Nigeria is reaching for that strength and belonging, the meal that always meant home.
There is quiet heritage in it, in a soup that carries the name of its leaf and the memory of a homeland, prepared with the care needed to balance its bitterness just so. To make editan soup in Britain is to keep that tradition going, and to serve a friend their first bowl with fufu is to share a piece of the Efik and Ibibio table. That strong, nourishing, gently bitter taste of home is the quiet gift of editan soup.
What Editan Soup Actually Is
Editan soup is a cherished soup of the Efik and Ibibio people, whose homelands lie in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in the south east of Nigeria. It takes its name from editan, a bitter leaf used as its main green, which gives the soup a characteristic gentle bitterness and a dark, appetising colour. Cooked with palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle, it is a strong, full flavoured soup and a proud part of the world of Nigerian food, well known in the region for both its taste and its reputation for nourishment.
The editan leaf is what defines the soup. It is firmer and more bitter than some other soup greens, and it is prepared carefully so its bitterness is pleasant rather than harsh. Combined with the richness of palm oil and the deep, savoury notes of stockfish and periwinkle, it produces a soup that is hearty and distinctive. Because stockfish and periwinkle bring fish and shellfish into the pot, it is kind to mention the dish to anyone with a seafood allergy before they eat.
How Editan Soup Is Made and Served
Making editan soup begins with the editan leaf, which is cleaned and sliced, then prepared so its bitterness is balanced. Assorted meat and offal are seasoned and cooked until tender, stockfish is softened, and periwinkle is cleaned and added. Palm oil goes in to enrich and colour the pot, the editan leaf is stirred through, and the soup is simmered gently with pepper and local seasonings until everything melds into a thick, savoury sauce. Some cooks add a second, milder leaf to soften the bitterness to taste.
Editan soup is served hot as a main dish, alongside a swallow for scooping. Fufu, eba, semolina and pounded yam all suit it, and the soft ball of swallow carries the rich, gently bitter soup beautifully. It is filling, sustaining food, the sort of soup made for a proper meal and often associated with strength and recovery. As the pot contains stockfish and periwinkle, a quiet word to guests with a fish or shellfish allergy is always considerate.
Why Editan Soup Matters in Akwa Ibom and Cross River
For the Efik and Ibibio people, editan soup is a dish of heritage and pride, closely tied to Akwa Ibom and Cross River and to the traditions of home. It appears at family meals and at celebrations, and it carries a longstanding reputation as a nourishing, body-building soup, the kind offered to someone who needs strength. That standing has kept it dear to the region across generations.
It also reflects the wider character of south eastern Nigerian cooking, the love of leafy soups, of palm oil, and of a pot rich with assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle. Where other regions favour different greens, editan is the leaf of the Efik and Ibibio table, and cooking with it is a mark of that identity. To make editan soup is to keep an Efik and Ibibio tradition alive, a strong, nourishing soup that families have valued and handed down with care.
Where to Buy Editan Soup Ingredients in the UK
Editan soup is a homemade dish, and its ingredients are gathered in Britain from African food shops. You will want the editan leaf, fresh, frozen or dried, along with good palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle; shops serving Nigerian customers, and south eastern customers in particular, are the ones most likely to carry the editan leaf, stockfish and periwinkle that the soup depends on. A shopkeeper who knows the dish can often point you to the right leaf and help you prepare the periwinkle and stockfish.
If you want your editan soup to taste the way it does back home, an African food shop that serves Efik, Ibibio or wider Nigerian customers is the natural place to find the leaf, palm oil, stockfish and periwinkle, and often a helpful tip on balancing the bitterness. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby. Simmered strong and rich and served with fufu, homemade editan soup brings the nourishing taste of Akwa Ibom and Cross River to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is editan soup?
Editan soup is a traditional soup of the Efik and Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River in south eastern Nigeria, made with editan, a bitter leaf, cooked with palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle. It is a strong, richly flavoured soup, gently bitter and deeply savoury. It has long been regarded as especially nourishing and is served with a swallow.
What does editan soup taste like?
Editan soup is strong, savoury and gently bitter, with the richness of palm oil and deep flavour from the stockfish and periwinkle. The editan leaf gives it a pleasant bitterness that is balanced rather than harsh. Cooks adjust the seasoning and sometimes add a milder leaf, so the bitterness can be softened to taste.
How is editan soup made?
The editan leaf is cleaned, sliced and prepared to balance its bitterness, while assorted meat and offal are cooked until tender, stockfish is softened and periwinkle is cleaned and added. Palm oil is stirred in to enrich the pot, the editan leaf goes in, and the soup is simmered with pepper and seasoning until thick and savoury. It is served hot with fufu, eba or pounded yam.
Does editan soup contain fish or shellfish?
Yes, editan soup is traditionally cooked with stockfish, which is fish, and periwinkle, which is a shellfish, both of which add much of its savoury depth. Assorted meat is usually included too. Because of this it is worth mentioning the dish to anyone with a fish or shellfish allergy before they eat.
Where can I buy editan soup ingredients in the UK?
Editan soup is made at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: the editan leaf, palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish and periwinkle. Shops serving Nigerian customers, and south eastern customers especially, are the most likely to stock the editan leaf, stockfish and periwinkle the soup depends on. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.