Afang soup is a special vegetable soup, a delicacy from the people of Akwa Ibom/Cross River States. It is a soup which is now well-loved and eaten all over Nigeria and beyond. It is prepared from afang leaves known as ukazi or eru with waterleaf as the main ingredients alongside other condiments.
Their botanical name is Gnetum africanum grown in the tropics mostly in the South south States mostly in Akwa Lbom State, Cross River State and neighboring States bordering these two States.
Times have changed before who would have thought that it would come to a time in Nigeria were soups can be prepared and sold in pots. I kept on talking about people nowadays being sophisticated, classic, competitive. With easy ways of doing things, busy schedules which allow little or no time for doing other things.
That is why the business even though is new it is breaking bounds and gaining ground very seriously. As it is scripturally written that there is nothing new under the heavens. Who knows whether very soon homes will only be relying on commercial pot of soup bought from suppliers….hahahaha.
AFANG SOUP BUSINESS
There are many ways to be entrepreneurial. Since this is an up coming business there are methods to do this business to maintain the lead in the market. ‘Men! who talk say work no dey, e full ground berekete, the only thing to do na to think’.
Afang soup business will thrive in places outside Akwa Ibom/ Cross River.
Also in outside Nigeria where our brothers and sisters are yearning to have a taste of home soups. Or in places where the condiments for preparing them cannot be easily found.
In this post you will learn how to cook correct afang soup, ingredients to use, marketability and health benefits of ukazi soup.
INTERESTINGLY
There are ways of doing things away from how others are doing theirs for better results. As a daughter of Akwa Ibom State I can categorically tell you that there are ways of cooking afang soup. Such that people will keep coming back for more patronage.
THINGS TO NOTE
Do not use onions to cook afang soup apart from the stock. If you add onions to the pot of your afang soup you won’t like the outcome. If you doubt me try the two (prepare one with onions and another without) and come back here to condemn or affirm my assertion.
Add azuza leaves to the afang soup condiments, use it to cook the soup and come back here to testify.
In place of waterleaf incase you are located where it can not be seen for purchase. You can use lettuce or spinach as substitute.
Some people use okra in place of waterleaf while there are still some others that combines afang and melon together. Whichever one suites your fancy you settle for it.
INGREDIENTS
A bunch of sliced afang leaves
1kg of meat
Big size dry fish
Medium size stockfish
2 bunches of Waterleaf
30cl of palm oil
2 tablespoon of pepper
Salt to taste
2 cubes of Seasoning
A cup of ground crayfish
This ones are optional;
A cup of Periwinkle (either shell or unshellled)
Small quantity of azuza for flavour
1 spoon of garlic and ginger for spice
PROCEDURE
Wash the meat very well with salt and water in a bowl. Put them into a pot, add seasoning, onions (cut into pieces), salt, garlic/ginger powder for me I normally use chopped fresh ones, a little pepper.
Place it on top of fire and par-boil for 10 minutes. Keep it aside
Wash the dry fish with salt and hot water, remove all the bones in it and set it aside
Wash the stockfish with warm water and set aside.
Wash the periwinkle very well with warm water for the non shelled ones. For shelled ones cut the tail of the periwinkle or you buy the already cut ones in the market.
Wash them severally to remove dirt by also shaking it in a rubber with cover so as to remove sand, broken periwinkle shell and any remaining dirt.
Put them in a small bowl, add hot water and put aside.
Wash the waterleaf and azuza leaves very well and cut them into small sizes.
Pound the sliced afang leaves with mortar, it is more preferable because it will not completely grind them. Another way to ground is by using blender or manual machine.
HOW TO COOK AFANG SOUP
Put the meat stock into a big pot and place it on fire.
Add a small quantity of water to it and allow to boil. This water will be enough to cook the soup because afang soup does not require much water. Add the washed periwinkle, dry fish and stockfish into the boiling water.
Pour the sliced waterleaf and azuza into the boiling water and allow to simmer for 10 minutes you don’t have to allow the leaves to die so that their nutrients won’t reduce or fade.
Add crayfish into the contents, pepper, seasoning, salt and palm oil.
Pour the ground afang leaves into the pot, don’t stir. After 2 minutes stir and bring the soup down. Some people add the leaves and bring it down immediately while some bring down the pot before adding the afang leaves. Well this will depend on the temperature at the time of cooking.
Finally your afang soup is ready serve it hot with fufu, semo vita or garri. Hmmmm yommy food- wa jon!. What are you waiting for try it today.
THINGS NEEDED FOR AFANG SOUP BUSINESS
Bowls
Condiments
Pot
Cooler
WHY YOU SHOULD DO AFANG SOUP BUSINESS
The items needed to prepare the soup can be sorted out easily.
It is very easy and cheaper to prepare
The demand for the soup is high because it is a darling delicacy.
It is profitable, you can make 50-100% profit out of this business for each supply. The profit will depend on your location. You will not measure the gains for someone doing this business with the person in the USA, London etc.
You can add ukazi soup to the list of your menu if you are already into food business.
MARKETABILITY
Advertise to close persons such as friends, colleagues and religion members.
Do online advertisement in market stores and other social media.
Print flyers and share.
You can be cooking for occasions such as birthdays, marriages etc.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF AFANG SOUP
It contain vitamin C which increases the body’s resistance to disease.
Afang helps in preventing constipation and good for weight lost.
It is good in managing diabetes
Ukazi prevents goitre because it leaves contain rich iodine
A good anti-oxidants
IN CONCLUSION
The success of your business will depend on how well you are able to prepare you ukazi soup. If you follow the laid down procedure you will go far in your afang soup business. But be sure to get a good variety of eru because it can affect your pot of soup.
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