Afang is grown in the tropical region of Africa. Its botanical name is Ginetum africanum. Ukwuho is, therefore, a rich soup prepared from a combination of pounded afang and shredded waterleaf together with other condiments. It is mostly prepared by the Efiks and Ibibios in the South-South Region of Nigeria. The soup is widely loved because of its delicious taste and nutritious value. It contains vitamins and minerals which help to nourish the body and maintain it too.
The soup is easy to prepare once you have the right ingredients and know the steps involved in the preparation of the soup. Such ingredients include: afang, waterleaf, meat (of any choice), palm oil, periwinkle, fresh pepper, stock fish or its head, crayfish, onion, dried fish, salt and seasoning.
To prepare ukwuho afang, you have to wash, dry and cut the afang leaf; pound them in a clean mortar. Or, to avoid the stress, you can buy the already cut afang and grind it in the market. Again, wash the meat, stock fish, and dried fish thoroughly, place them in a pot, add pepper, onions, little salt and seasoning to taste. After this, you put the pot containing the ingredients on fire. While it is boiling, you add well-washed and salted periwinkle, and allow all to boil together. When it is boiled well, pour the stock into a clean boil. Place the empty pot back on the fire, add palm oil and little onions (optional), then add the shredded waterleaf, and allow it to cook to bring out its own water.
When the waterleaf boils a little, add the afang and grounded crayfish, and stir. Add the meat and stock fish. Add little palm oil, and then add salt and seasoning to taste, and stir again. If the soup is very thick, you can add little water to it. Boil for five minutes, and bring down the pot from the fire. The soup is ready to be eaten. Ukwuho afang is better served with pounded yam, foofoo, garri, wheat, semovita and amala.