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⁾