₦airaland Forum

sonnie10:
My best kept secret since 1979. They can have it now but I won’t tell them that the bottom pot, a little burnt is the best part.
One other secret I won’t revile is that the fish must be Bonga fish and you must have periwinkle with shell in it.

A real AKWA IBOM person.

DiomaKitchen:
Ekpang Nkukwo also known as cocoyam & water yam porridge is a popular dish in the south south region of Nigeria and is also common in some parts of Cameroon. It is a healthy and nutritious meal.

Please see below for details on how it is made.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcvPqWPFWkc

INGREDIENTS
Water Yam
Cocoyam
Periwinkles
Dried Fish
Dried Prawns
Scent Leaves
Ugu Leaves
Blended Fresh Pepper
Red Oil
Seasoning
Onions
Crayfish
Hot Water

I encourage you to try the recipe, you will enjoy it.

Abeg who hunger hold no the Cook this kind thing.

9jaGovernment:
Abeg who hunger hold no the Cook this kind thing.

.

Preciousppearl:
Delicious meal, I prefer it with baby cocoyam leaf and plenty smoked mackerel..

Thanks, indeed it goes very well with mackerel

I used to think that they all unwrap while cooking, then I thought "what was the point of all that work?" I never knew they even harden up.

I like the idea of using pumpkin leaves, instead of cocoyam leaves.
I'm yet to come to terms with the fact that cocoyam leaves are edible. (I feel choked by just imagining it.)

With pumpkin leaves, I'd be more than willing to try it.

sonnie10:
It looks like ugu (pumpkin leaves). Saw that in her recipe. People use “green” too. But coco yam leaves is the original recipe. Wrapping alone can take an hour if it’s one person doing it for like people 4-5 servings.

Mariangeles:
I used to think that they all unwrap while cooking, then I thought "what was the point of all that work?" I never knew they even harden up.

I like the idea of using pumpkin leaves, instead of cocoyam leaves.
I'm yet to come to terms with the fact that cocoyam leaves are edible. (I feel choked by just imagining it.)

With pumpkin leaves, I'd be more than willing to try it.

Actually. the leaves are not supposed to harden. The leaves have never been the center of attention in the real Ekpang when cooked.
From afar I would think the same too, but like they would say, "the taste of the pudding is in trying it." Pumpkin leaf is a known edible vegetable unlike coco yam leaf. I do not know of another food cooked with coco yam leaf. However, in Ekang Nkwukwo, pumpkin does a little damage to the intended smoothness of the paste when served. Remember, pumpkin leaf naturally has this relatively thick veins and midribs which are not present in carefully shredded tender coco yam sprouts leaves. Those veins and midribs do not melt and marry with the paste even after cooking, instead they harden. Ekpang is not supposed to be hard like Moi Moi. It should be softer, without the unpleasant roughage from the leaf. The etiquette when eating Ekpang is, not to move your jaws so much, do not chew it hard. Secondly, the coco yam leaf does not add additional taste to it like the pumpkin leaf does. I would say the coco yam leaf is just a placeholder, with the sole purpose for wrapping the paste and not constitute nuisance in this delicacy.

sonnie10:
From afar I would think the same too, but like they would say, "the taste of the pudding is in trying it." Pumpkin leaf is a know edible vegetable unlike coco yam leaf. I do not know of another food cooked with coco yam leaf. However, in Ekang Nkwukwo, pumpkin does a little damage to the intended smoothness of the paste when served. Remember, pumpkin leaf naturally has this relatively thick veins and midribs which are not present in carefully shredded tender coco yam sprouts leaves. Those veins and midribs do not melt and marry with the paste even after cooking, instead they harden. Ekpang is not supposed to be hard like Moi Moi. It should be softer, without the unpleasant roughage from the leaf. The etiquette when eating Ekpang is, not to move your jaws so much, do not chew it hard. Secondly, the coco yam leaf does not add additional taste to it like the pumpkin leaf does. I would say the coco yam leaf is just a placeholder, with the sole purpose for wrapping the paste and not constitute nuisance in this delicacy.

I totally get you. Your food language.
I'm convinced. Now, I'd be so willing to try the authentic recipe.

Mariangeles:
I totally get you. Your food language.
I'm convinced. Now, I'd be willing to try the authentic recipe.

You know the reason why anthropologists would never research any culture from textbook, but would spend years among the real people in their natural habitat? They want to know why people do the things they do different from others. Until I started using whole milk for cereal (cornflake, etc), I would never believe peak milk is not ideal for that.