A Personal Beef with Bitterleaf Soup

Bitterleaf soup, known as Ofe Onugbu in Igbo, is a popular dish among the Igbo people and is enjoyed by many, particularly in the Anambra and Imo states of Nigeria.

The traditionally bitterleaf soup is usually prepared with assorted fish and meat, cocoyam for thickening, salt, palm oil, seasoning cubes, crayfish, fermented locust beans (ogiri), and well-washed bitterleaf.

Being born into an Igbo family to an Imo state dad who spent half of his childhood in the village, I couldn't avoid learning how to cook bitterleaf soup. In my house, you can choose not to learn how to make other dishes; no one will force you. But when it comes to making bitterleaf soup, you don't have a choice.

It is impossible not to know how to prepare it considering the fact that it is my dad's favorite soup, and among other dishes we prepare in a week, bitterleaf soup is always on the menu. So every week in each month, we prepare bitterleaf soup.

However, it happens to be my least favorite soup. I don't like it, not even a bit, and I only eat it when there is no option at home. My dislike for the soup stems from two ingredients used in preparing it: ogiri and bitterleaf. Fermented locust beans (ogiri) smell so awful, more than rotten eggs, and when added to the soup, it tastes bad to me. Or maybe it is my taste buds that don't like it because others enjoy it. I just can't stand the smell and taste.

Since my mom discovered that one of the reasons I always abandon bitterleaf soup whenever it is prepared is because of the fermented locust beans (ogiri) added to it, she decided to stop adding it each time she prepares the soup. However, that didn't change the fact that I dislike the soup, and it didn't make me start eating it.

Bitterleaf, on the other hand, is yet another reason for me disliking the soup, but as my dad would always ask, "What is bitter leaf soup without bitter leaf?" Of course, there is no bitter leaf soup without bitterleaf, which is another reason why he would always buy them excessively. Bitterleaf, as the name implies, when added to soup, leaves a bitter taste. No matter how many times it is squeezed or washed to reduce the bitterness, there is always a taste of it in soups, hence my dislike for it.

No matter how I am being convinced that the taste is minimal for me to eat it, I simply cannot bring myself to enjoy it. I say I have a sweet tooth, and it's fine. Sometimes, my mom and dad would tease me by asking, 'What if I eventually end up with a man whose favorite soup is bitterleaf soup?'

My usual reply is, 'Then he would have to cook and eat it himself; I'm not stopping anyone from enjoying their favorite food. If he wants, I can even help him cook it'.

Other times, they go as far as listing a thousand and one benefits of bitterleaf and adding fermented locust beans to soups, yet it still hasn't changed the fact that my taste buds dislike it just like they do eggs. No matter how many health benefits or arguments are thrown my way, I still can't stomach it, and I don't enjoy eating it as much as I enjoy eating yam. In fact, I see it as more of a medicine than food because of the bitter taste, and I would be the last person to take medicine in place of food.

While it may be the traditional food of my hometown, I have a personal beef with it, which I am certain won't end anytime soon. It's like a food enemy that I just can't get along with, no matter how many times I try.

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