What Is Ofe Owerri? The Igbo Delicacy Explained
Ofe owerri is a rich, prized Igbo soup from Owerri, packed with meat, fish and greens. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Ofe owerri is a rich, prestigious soup from Owerri in southeastern Nigeria, regarded as one of the finest and most treasured soups in Igbo cuisine. It is packed generously with assorted meat, stockfish, dried fish and other proteins, thickened traditionally with cocoyam, and given its character by particular vegetables, above all the leafy greens okazi (ukazi) and the soft, water-rich leaves, cooked in red palm oil. Prized for its richness and reserved for special occasions and guests, ofe owerri is eaten with a swallow. Because it contains fish and shellfish, allergies should be noted. In the UK the ingredients are sold by African food shops.
What to remember
- Ofe owerri is a rich, prized Igbo soup from Owerri in southeastern Nigeria.
- It is packed with assorted meat, stockfish, dried fish and other proteins.
- It is thickened traditionally with cocoyam and flavoured with greens like okazi, cooked in palm oil.
- It is a prestigious, special-occasion soup, eaten with a swallow.
- It contains fish and shellfish, so allergies should be noted; the ingredients are sold by African food shops in the UK.
For Igbo people in Britain, ofe owerri is a rich, celebratory taste of home. It is the generous soup thick with meat and fish and greens, the pot made for a special occasion or an honoured guest, the pride of Owerri on the table, the taste that says celebration and home. Making ofe owerri far from home brings back family celebrations and the finest soups of the southeast, the warmth of home in every rich, savoury spoonful, eaten with a soft swallow.
There is real heritage in it too, in a soup so tied to Igbo hospitality, abundance and pride, made with care and generosity. It reflects a whole culture of rich, celebratory, communal food, and to make a pot of ofe owerri is to keep that alive. Cooking it for family who grew up on it, or sharing it with a friend at a celebration, is a real act of welcome. That rich, generous taste of home is the gift of ofe owerri.
What Ofe Owerri Actually Is
Ofe owerri, meaning Owerri soup in Igbo, is a celebrated soup from the Owerri area of Imo State in southeastern Nigeria, and it is widely regarded as one of the richest and most prestigious soups in all of Igbo cooking. What sets it apart is its generosity and its particular ingredients: it is loaded with a variety of proteins, such as assorted meat, cow tripe and other cuts, stockfish and dried fish, and it is thickened with cocoyam paste rather than other thickeners, giving it a distinctive body.
Its flavour and identity come from its greens, classically okazi, also called ukazi, a firm, shredded leaf, together with a soft, water-rich leaf, cooked in plenty of red palm oil with traditional seasonings like ogiri or dawadawa, pepper and stock. The result is a thick, rich, deeply savoury soup that is considered a real delicacy. Ofe owerri belongs to the world of Nigerian, and specifically Igbo, cooking we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, and it sits among the great Nigerian soups alongside egusi soup and pepper soup.
How Ofe Owerri Is Made and Eaten
Making ofe owerri is a labour of love, part of why it is a special-occasion soup. The various meats, stockfish and dried fish are cleaned and cooked with seasonings until tender, building a rich stock. Cocoyam is boiled, pounded into a smooth paste, and added in small lumps to thicken the soup as it cooks, dissolving into a rich body. Red palm oil is added for colour and flavour, along with traditional seasonings such as ogiri or dawadawa, ground crayfish, pepper and stock.
The greens go in towards the end so they keep their character: the firm okazi (ukazi) is finely shredded and added to soften in the soup, along with the soft, water-rich leaf, and the soup is simmered until everything is rich and well combined but the vegetables are still fresh. Ofe owerri is served hot and eaten with a swallow such as pounded yam, fufu or garri (eba), pinched off by hand and dipped into the soup. Because it contains fish, dried fish and often shellfish like crayfish, it is not suitable for those with a fish or shellfish allergy. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Rich, generous and prized, ofe owerri is Igbo cooking at its finest.
Ofe Owerri in Igbo Food Culture
Ofe owerri holds a place of real honour in Igbo food culture, a soup associated with abundance, celebration and hospitality. Because it is so rich in ingredients, so generous with proteins, and takes real effort and expense to make, it is a soup for special occasions, important guests, celebrations and gatherings, where serving it is a mark of generosity and respect. It carries the pride of Owerri and of Igbo cuisine, and it is spoken of as one of the finest soups the region has to offer.
Every good cook has their own hand with ofe owerri, but the abundance of proteins, the cocoyam thickening, the okazi and soft greens and the red palm oil are always at its heart. For Igbo people, ofe owerri is a treasured, celebratory taste of home, and for anyone exploring Nigerian food it is a remarkable, rich soup to experience. This article is general food and cultural information, and the soup contains fish and shellfish. Rich and prestigious, ofe owerri is a treasured Igbo classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making ofe owerri at home in Britain is very doable, as the ingredients are sold in African food shops, especially those serving Nigerian communities. They stock the stockfish, dried fish, ground crayfish, ogiri or dawadawa, palm oil and pepper that give the soup its flavour, along with cocoyam for the thickening, and the greens, with okazi (ukazi) sold dried or frozen and a soft leaf like waterleaf or a substitute available frozen. The assorted meat can come from a butcher. Gathering the proteins, the okazi and the cocoyam is the key to an authentic ofe owerri.
If you want to make ofe owerri, an African food shop can point you to the okazi, stockfish, cocoyam and seasonings you need, and the swallow to eat it with. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Rich, generous and full of flavour, ofe owerri brings a prized taste of Igbo Nigeria to your table, perfect for a special occasion.
Frequently asked questions
What is ofe owerri?
Ofe owerri, meaning Owerri soup, is a rich, prestigious soup from Owerri in southeastern Nigeria, regarded as one of the finest in Igbo cuisine. It is packed with assorted meat, stockfish, dried fish and other proteins, thickened with cocoyam, and flavoured with greens like okazi and a soft leaf, cooked in red palm oil. It is a special-occasion delicacy, eaten with a swallow, and it contains fish and shellfish.
What is ofe owerri made of?
Ofe owerri is made with a generous mix of proteins, such as assorted meat, stockfish and dried fish, thickened with pounded cocoyam, and flavoured with red palm oil, ogiri or dawadawa, ground crayfish and pepper. Its signature vegetables are okazi (ukazi), a firm shredded leaf, and a soft, water-rich leaf. The abundance of ingredients is what makes it so rich and prized.
Why is ofe owerri special?
Ofe owerri is considered one of the richest and most prestigious soups in Igbo cuisine because of its generous mix of proteins, its cocoyam thickening and its particular greens, all of which make it costly and time-consuming to prepare. For this reason it is a soup for special occasions, celebrations and honoured guests, and serving it is a mark of generosity, hospitality and Owerri pride.
What is ofe owerri eaten with?
Ofe owerri is eaten with a swallow, the soft mounds pinched off by hand and dipped into the soup. Popular choices include pounded yam, fufu and garri (eba). The swallow carries the rich, savoury soup with its meat, fish and greens. As the soup contains fish, dried fish and often shellfish such as crayfish, it is not suitable for those with a fish or shellfish allergy.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
African food shops serving Nigerian communities sell the stockfish, dried fish, crayfish, ogiri or dawadawa, palm oil and pepper, along with cocoyam for thickening and okazi (ukazi) and a soft green, often dried or frozen. Assorted meat comes from a butcher. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the okazi, stockfish and cocoyam that ofe owerri needs.