What it is
A dark green soup made from editan, a bitter wild leaf that must be washed and squeezed to reduce its bitterness before cooking. It is cooked with palm oil, periwinkle, dried fish and meat and is thicker than afang.
Key ingredients
- Editan leaves
- Palm oil
- Periwinkle
- Dried fish and stockfish
- Meat
- Ground crayfish
- Ground pepper
- Onions
A list of what goes in, not a recipe. Quantities and method vary by household.
How it is eaten
Eaten with pounded yam, fufu or eba, pinched and dipped by hand.
Cultural significance
Editan is Efik, Ibibio and Annang, from Akwa Ibom and Cross River, and is regarded there as an older and more local soup than afang, which travels better. Its bitterness is deliberate and considered medicinal, and it is often served to nursing mothers. Preparing the leaf correctly is the difference between a good and an unpleasant pot.
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