A legendary dish from Owerri — luxurious, thick, and loaded with assorted meats, stockfish, snails, crayfish, periwinkle, and vegetables (ugu + okazi). Known across Igboland as “the soup you cook when you want to impress.” 1)
A variant of the classic Ofe Oha, but made with thinner-shredded oha leaves, stockfish, and cocoyam paste. Ihitte communities prefer a milder, silky texture. 2)
Made with ukazi (wild spinach) and sometimes thickened with egusi or achi, this soup is both aromatic and earthy. Often paired with fufu or pounded yam. 3)
A vibrant cold dish made from cassava flakes (abacha) mixed with oil bean slices (ugba), palm oil, garden egg leaves, onions, crayfish, and potash. Imo locals often add utazi leaves for a pleasant bitter kick. 4)
A palm-nut–based stew similar to Banga, but with an intensely smoky flavor from dried fish and native spices. Often served with white rice or boiled yam. 5)
A rustic Mbaise delicacy: freshly roasted yam dipped in spiced palm oil mixed with utazi, chili, and raw onions. A simple but beloved cultural treat. 6)
A bold soup created in parts of Orlu zone, combining bitterleaf, utazi, palm oil, and smoked catfish. Distinctively sharp and aromatic — eaten on special occasions. 7)
A lesser-known “white” version of the famous Ofe Owerri, cooked without palm oil but enriched with cocoyam paste, crayfish, smoked meats, and okazi. 8)
Egusi cooked with calabash nutmeg (ehuru), giving it a floral, smoky perfume. This spice is especially popular in Owerri and Okigwe kitchens. 9)
Mbano communities prepare nkwobi with extra uziza, ehuru, and utazi, creating a deeper, more spiced flavor than the standard version. 10)
Imo’s take on Nsala includes goat meat, utazi, and cocoyam, producing a creamy, peppery soup with a gently bitter aftertaste. 11)
A celebration soup combining oha leaves, ehuru, stockfish, and offor (thickener). Traditional in marriages and festivals around Orlu. 12)
Mashed ripe and unripe plantains cooked with palm oil, onions, chili, and smoked crayfish. A sweet–spicy comfort dish rarely found outside Okigwe villages. 13)
A porridge-like dish cooked with grated cocoyam, fish stock, pepper, and uziza. Common among riverside communities in Ohaji/Egbema. 14)
A more rustic variant of the royal soup: no snails, no periwinkle — just lots of smoked catfish, dryfish, crayfish, palm oil, and okazi. Thicker and smokier than the classic hotel-style recipe. 15)