Peppersoup (or pepper soup) is asoup eaten byCameroonians andNigerians. This soup is made using various meats or fish,chili peppers, salt,scent leaves andcalabash nutmeg as its primary ingredients. It is aspicy soup that has a light, watery texture. Despite its name, the soup is not necessarily defined by a pepper-forwardflavor profile; the flavors are more complex, with nutty, bitter, woodsy, and floral notes, as well as warmth.[1] It is considered adelicacy by some people inWestern Africa, and some West Africans believe that the soup has some basic medicinal qualities.
Pepper soup is a common soup inNigeria that is prepared using various meats, fishes,chili peppers andcalabash nutmeg as its primary ingredients.[2][3] Pepper soup is very spicy[4] and is often paired with a coldbeer orsoft drink. While it is served as anappetizer at official gatherings, pepper soup is more popular atpubs. In Nigeria, it is served at "leisure spots" as a recreational or "feel good" dish.[4] Pepper soupcubes, a pre-mixed blend of spices used in pepper soup, are manufactured by one Nigerian company.[5]
Pepper soup is typically a watery soup.[4][6] It can be prepared with combinations of various meats,[7] such asfish,shrimp,tripe,oxtail,chicken,game, goat,[2][5][8][9] beef or cow hide. Additional ingredients can includetomatoes,onion,green onions,garlic, sweet peppers,ginger,cloves,cinnamon and lime juice.[8][10]Fufu, a food prepared from boiled and then poundedcassava or othertubers, is sometimes used as an ingredient, which thickens the soup and serves to impart a creamy texture.[2] It is sometimes served with side dishes such as rice or boiled tubers, or served atop these ingredients.[7][11] On the western coast of Africa, it is typically cooked outdoors in acauldron.[12]
Pepper soup is considered to be adelicacy among riverine people[13] in Nigeria. It is a popular soup in Nigeria (Southern region)[9] and in other English-speaking countries in Western Africa.[6] Some West Africans believe that chicken pepper soup has medicinal qualities, and it is served to ill people.[8] Pepper soup is also sometimes consumed by new mothers, because it is believed by some to assist in general healing of the body and in thesecretion ofbreast milk.[8] It is also often consumed afterwedding celebrations, as a means to restore health.[12]
