Atama tree is commonly found in compounds, bush and forest. Its leaves have strong scent, making some people to wash it or to allow such to remain. The tree is grown mostly in the tropical regions and rain belt areas. The Southern part of country is more homely to the tree.
Abak atama is a special soup prepared with an admixture of atama leaves and pounded oil palm fruits. Rich in vitamin C, atama leaf contains calcium, protein and vital amino acids.
To cook the soup, you have to gather the ingredients. These are atama leaves, oil palm fruits, meat,
dried or fresh fish, stock fish or its head, crayfish, cow tail, periwinkle in shell, pepper, salt, maggi cubes and tanned cow skin (kpomo). Using okro or melon is a choice of the cook, but it is not mandatory.
To prepare the soup, you have to wash, cook and pound your oil palm fruits. Add warm water and thoroughly mix it to extract the paste from the palm fruits. Wash and season your meat, stock fish and kpomo spiced with onion and maggi cubes and allow the ingredients to boil for some time. Add your dried or fresh fish to the seasoning.
Strain the paste gently into the pot containing all the protenous items. Put it on fire and allow it to steam. Add crayfish, periwinkle in shell and other seasonings. Correct taste of the soup recipe. Allow it to cook gently until the contents thicken. At last, add the pounded atama leaves to the soup. Stir and allow it to cook for few minutes. Thereafter, you bring down the pot while the leaves are silvery fresh.
Dish abak atama soup into plates and serve it with garri, fufu, ayangekpang, udeputim, white rice, wheat and semovita.