Banga Soup — known as ofe akwu in Igbo communities and simply as banga across the Niger Delta — is one of Nigeria’s most deeply soulful soups, born in the Ijaw, Urhobo, Itsekiri and Isoko communities of southern Nigeria. This rich, reddish-brown soup is built on the concentrated extract of palm fruits and perfumed with a bouquet of aromatic banga spices found nowhere else in Nigerian cooking. It is the soup of milestones: naming ceremonies, second burials, weddings, and the kind of Sunday where only the most serious pot will do.
What makes Banga Soup truly unforgettable is the layering of flavour from the banga sticks — the oburunbebe wood — alongside lightly crushed uziza seeds and a whisper of fermented ogiri, all blooming slowly in that deeply red, glistening broth. The oxtail falls tenderly off the bone, the periwinkles offer that satisfying chew that keeps you reaching back into the pot, and the dried catfish and crayfish give the whole soup an umami depth that lingers long after the last bite. On cold British evenings, this pot is pure warmth and memory.
Every ingredient you need for a proper, authentic pot of banga is available right here at Awuf Afro Store — from the Banga Palm Oil concentrate and Awuf Banga Sticks to the Awuf Banga Spice Powder, ground crayfish, dried catfish fillet, cleaned periwinkle and Maggi Star Seasoning, all delivered to your door across the UK.
Ingredients
Serves 4–6
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 2 litres | Banga Palm Oil (palm fruit extract) |
| 1 kg | Oxtail (cut into pieces) |
| 80 g | PC Stockfish Fillet (soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes until softened) |
| 100 g | Awuf Dried Catfish Fillet (rinsed and broken into large chunks) |
| 200 g | Premium Cleaned Periwinkle (rinsed well) |
| 3 tbsp | Awuf Ground Crayfish |
| 1 pack | Awuf Banga Sticks (oburunbebe wood) (used whole, removed before serving) |
| 2 tbsp | Awuf Banga Spice Powder |
| 1 tbsp | Awuf Uziza Seeds (lightly crushed in a mortar) |
| 1 tsp | Awuf Ogiri (the fermented umami base — do not skip) |
| 1 medium | Fresh red onion (half sliced, half blended with peppers) |
| 3–4 peppers | Fresh scotch bonnet peppers (blended or finely chopped, adjust to your heat level) |
| 2 cubes | Maggi Star seasoning cubes |
| 1 tbsp | Delex Dried Scent Leaves (added right at the end for fragrance) |
| to taste | Salt |
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Method
- Season and cook the oxtail (60–75 minutes): Place the oxtail pieces in a pot with half the sliced onion, 1 Maggi Star cube and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add just enough water to cover — about 500ml. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 60–75 minutes until the meat is tender and nearly falling from the bone. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 25 minutes. Reserve every drop of the stock.
- Prepare the dried fish (20 minutes, while the oxtail cooks): Pour boiling water over the PC Stockfish Fillet and leave to soak for 20 minutes until fully softened. Drain, then flake into large, generous chunks, checking carefully for any bones. Rinse the Awuf Dried Catfish Fillet and break into rough pieces. Set both aside.
- Build the banga base (10 minutes): Pour the Banga Palm Oil into a large, deep pot. Add 400ml of warm water and stir to combine — the mixture will turn a rich, deep orange-red. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. The broth will become fragrant and deeply coloured.
- Add the meat and stock (5 minutes): Tip the cooked oxtail and all its reserved stock into the banga pot. Stir well to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a rolling simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the aromatic banga spices (10 minutes): Drop in the Awuf Banga Sticks whole, add the lightly crushed Awuf Uziza Seeds, and the teaspoon of Awuf Ogiri. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of Awuf Banga Spice Powder. These four ingredients are the soul of authentic Niger Delta banga — do not substitute or skip them. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the aromatics infuse into the broth.
- Add the dried fish (8–10 minutes): Add the prepared stockfish and dried catfish fillet to the pot. Stir gently — the fish will break apart naturally into the broth as it cooks. Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
- Add crayfish and periwinkle (5 minutes): Stir in the 3 tablespoons of Awuf Ground Crayfish and the rinsed periwinkle. Stir once gently and leave to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Season and add pepper: Add the blended scotch bonnet peppers and the remaining sliced onion. Crumble in the remaining Maggi Star cube. Taste and adjust salt to your preference. The soup should be deeply savoury, warmly spiced and intensely aromatic.
- Simmer to finish (20–25 minutes): Cook uncovered over medium heat for a further 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the palm oil rises and floats as a glossy layer across the top and the soup has thickened to a rich, coating consistency. This separation of oil is your sign the soup is ready.
- Add scent leaves, rest and serve: Stir in the Delex Dried Scent Leaves and cook for a final 5 minutes. Remove and discard the banga sticks. Rest the pot for 5 minutes off the heat, then serve steaming hot with pounded yam, semolina, starch or eba.
Tips & Variations
- From scratch with fresh palm fruits: For an even deeper, more traditional result, boil 1.5kg of fresh palm fruits in water for 30 minutes, pound lightly in a mortar to loosen the flesh, then squeeze the pulp through a fine sieve with hot water to extract the juice. Use this in place of the Banga Palm Oil concentrate for the richest possible base.
- Add snails for a true Delta celebration pot: Jumbo snails are a beloved addition to banga soup at parties and naming ceremonies across the Niger Delta. Add them alongside the periwinkle at step 7 for extra depth and that signature celebratory chew.
- Freeze in batches: Banga Soup tastes even better the following day once the spices have fully bloomed. Make a large pot, cool completely and freeze in airtight portions for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the hob with a small splash of water.
