Soup and swallow: a beginner's guide

Nigerian menus assume you already know how Nigerian food works. Nobody explains that "soup" means the main course, that "swallow" is a noun, or that ordering a soup without a swallow will leave you holding a bowl and wondering what to do with it.

Here is the whole system in one page.

Soup is the main course

This is the single most important thing to understand. A Nigerian soup is not a starter and it is not a thin broth. It is a thick, rich, heavily loaded stew — closer to a curry in role than to anything called soup in Europe or North America.

It arrives full of meat and fish. It is eaten as the centre of the meal. And it is almost always served with something starchy to carry it, because eating it with a spoon alone would be like eating curry without rice.

What swallow is

Swallow is the starchy partner. It is a soft, smooth, slightly elastic dough, served as a ball or a wrapped mound, and it is eaten by pinching off pieces with your fingers and dipping them.

The name is literal. You are not supposed to chew it. You pinch, you dip, you swallow. Chewing swallow is not wrong exactly, but it will feel odd and it is not what the texture is designed for.

Which swallow to pick

Swallow	Made from	What it is like
Pounded yam	Yam	Smooth, dense, slightly sweet. The most prized and the best match for heavy soups.
Fufu (akpu)	Fermented cassava	Soft and stretchy with a distinct sour tang. Divisive and much loved.
Eba	Garri, from cassava	Firmer, slightly grainy, mildly sour. The everyday choice.
Semovita	Semolina wheat	The lightest and mildest. A good first swallow if you are unsure.

If you have never eaten swallow before, start with semovita or eba. Work up to fufu once you have decided you like the format, because its sourness is the most unfamiliar thing on the list.

Which soup to pick

Every Nigerian soup has a distinct personality. These are the ones we cook.

Egusi

Ground melon seeds fried in palm oil until they clump, then simmered with greens and meat. Thick, nutty and mild. This is the crowd favourite and the safest first soup for anybody.

Ofe Owerri

Our signature. Okazi and ugu leaves, cocoyam-thickened, loaded with stockfish and assorted meat. Rich and complex. There is a whole article on this one.

Ogbono

Wild mango seed, which makes the soup "draw" — that is, stretch into long strands when you lift your spoon. The drawing is the point and is considered a virtue, not a flaw.

Okra

Also draws, lighter and fresher than ogbono, cooked quickly so the okra stays green.

Afang

Efik in origin. Finely shredded afang leaf with waterleaf, dense with greens and seafood notes.

Bitterleaf (onugbu)

The leaves are washed repeatedly to take most of the bitterness out, leaving a pleasant edge rather than an aggressive one. Cocoyam-thickened. An Igbo classic.

Oha

Tender oha leaves, torn by hand rather than cut, in a cocoyam base. Close cousin to bitterleaf but milder and more fragrant.

Efo riro

Yoruba rather than Igbo. Spinach in a bold pepper and locust bean sauce. Bright and punchy.

Pepper soup

The exception to everything above: thin, clear, fiery and aromatic, eaten on its own from a bowl with a spoon. No swallow required.

How to actually eat it

Wash your right hand. Traditionally only the right hand is used for eating.

1. Pinch off a piece of swallow roughly the size of a walnut.
2. Press a small dent into it with your thumb, so it can hold soup.
3. Scoop, aiming to get a piece of meat or fish along with the liquid.
4. Swallow without chewing.

Use cutlery if you would rather. Nobody minds, and plenty of Nigerians do. But your hand judges the ratio far better than a fork, which is the practical reason the custom exists.

What to order on your first visit

If you want to ease in: jollof rice with grilled chicken and fried plantain. Smoky, savoury, familiar in shape, and complete on one plate.

If you want the real thing: egusi soup with pounded yam, spice level mild or medium. This is the archetypal Nigerian meal.

If you want to understand what the fuss is about: Ofe Owerri with pounded yam. It is the most expensive thing on the menu for a reason.

If you are feeding a table with mixed appetites: a rice tray plus one soup and a swallow pack, so people can take as much or as little of the unfamiliar thing as they want.

A note on spice

Nigerian food is properly peppered. Some of it — pepper soup, nkwobi, peppered goat — is genuinely hot at the level it is normally served.

Every dish on our menu lets you choose mild, medium or hot. Mild is not bland; it is the same seasoning with the chilli pulled back. Start there if you are unsure. You can always go up next time, and most people do.

Next: the glossary, if the words are what is slowing you down.