Editan soup is a kind of soup from Akwa Ibom/Cross River State of Nigeria. There is a way this food is cooked ,somebody will mistake it for afang soup. Editan soup is for the Kings and Queens of this world so if you belong here then you need to try it out. I call it the royal soup, this is not a soup to joke with, editan soup will make you eat well if you dont have appetite for food, eat editan soup The first time i ate this soup ..jeez, i made up my mind never to eat it again not until my colleague in office brought a home made Editan soup and when i ate it i knew i have i just signed a contract with editan soup. I came to realise that the reason for the taste i had from my first time of eating was the method of preparation. Editan soup needs a lot of patience and time to get it done. Editan leaves is so bitter as bitterleaf you need to wash the bitterness off.
The main ingerdient of editan soup is editan leaf which is known as lastanthere africana which belongs to thefamily of icancinaceae which is a perennial glabrous shrub food in the tropical rain forest. Editan soup is medicinal that's why i like eating it. It is said to be bacteriostatic, fungicidal, antidiabetic and anti plasmoda(march, 2016 ww.iosrjournals.org).
Editan soup can be cooked with waterleaf or okro but i prefer the waterleaf type. There are different species of editan some are wildly bitter while others are mildly bitter so if you go to the market ask for afia editan(white editan leaf) it is said to be less bitter this is applicable to bitterleaf we have the white and local bitter leaves.
Ingredients
One bunch of editan
2 bunches of water leaves
1 kg of meat (cow or goat)
A good number of dry fishes
A medium size stockfish
Shelled periwinkle(a cup)
A cup of ground crayfish
25cl palm oil
Pepper as desired
Seasoning(knorr cube 2or maggi cube 4)
Azuza optional
Salt to taste
A small size onion
Kpomo optional
Preparation
Pick the editan leaves and cut them into smaller strands but you can buy the ones that has already been cut in the market. Put them into the mortar and pound just a little. Turn into a big bowl and wash the bitter taste out but not completely because a little bitter taste in a soup always makes the soup taste great. Scrub the editan leaves with your palm and wash the drawing green colour out with hot water do it over and over until its slimy nature ceases
Wash the water leaves very well and cut them into smaller sizes. You can use salt to wash it a little more by scrubbing it so as to reduce the water content and sliming nature of some. Waterleaf tends to increase its moisture content during raining season and if you don't reduce the water it can change the taste of your soup with its sour taste.
Cut the periwinkle and wash very well with salt then soak in hot water
Wash the dry fish with salt and hot water then cut them into smaller sizes. Do the same with stockfish head
Cooking
Wash the meat very well into a big pot and add seasoning, pepper, onions and salt. Cook for 10minutes
Add enough water that will take for the soup and allow to boil, add the cut waterleaf, washed stockfish, crayfish, dry fish, periwinkle, pepper, seasoning, salt and palm oil and allow to simmer for 10minutes
Stir and add the editan leaves and cut azuza if you are using it and allow to simmer for 10minutes
Stir and taste to know if there is anything you need to add
Then bring down the pot.
You can get editan leaf in any country you are staying, just walk down to any of the African shops you will find it there wether dried or fresh it still does the same work.
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