Food Review Contest: "Taste & Tell"||Oha soup delicacy
The Oha or Ora leaf, is one of the widely used leafy vegetable eaten in the southeastern part of my country, Nigeria. It originates from the Oha tree referred to as Pterocarpus mildbraedii in agriculture terms. The leaf is rated high because of its unique taste, aroma, and a lot of nutritional benefits.
The soup made with ora leave has been one the most best traditional soups that the Igbo ethnic nationality enjoys eating. It is not just prepared for family consumption alone. It is also prepared when there are special events and family meetings as well as other traditional events. Most people like to it the Ora soup with eba, garri or pounded yam. The soup also go well with fufu.
The Health Benefits of Oha Leaf
Nutritionally, Oha leaves are rich with vitamins E, C, and A. This vitamins are helps in boosting the body immune system, help supporting a a good and healthy vision, and maintaining a healthy skin also. The leaves are also made up of minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. These minerals are responsible for having strong bones and makes the body to function well.
The leaves serves as a good source of dietary fiber, relieves indigestion and constipation. Again, Oha leaves carry antioxidants that are responsible in acting like protective walls and helps the body fight harmful free radicals and minimize the chances of having some diseases.
Some common Ingredients that are needed to Prepare Oha Soup*
The following are some of the ingredients that are used in preparing the Oha soup:
Fresh Oha leaves
**Soup thickeners **
Palm oil
meat
Stockfish or dried fish
Crayfish
Seasoning cubes
Salt
Dry or fresh Peppers
Water
To make the Oha soup, first cook the meat, stockfish, or dried fish using some seasoning cubes, salt, and pepper. Cook till they are soft. As you are cooking the meat, grind or pound the thee soup thickeners into powdered form for a good taste. Also grind the crayfish.
After the meat and fish are done, bring it down and pour them into a deep plate. Place the pot on the fire to dry for some seconds. Pour some Palm oil into to the pot and add the ingredients to make a fry. Stir until they mixed properly.
Add few cups of water to the pot and add back the meat to the pot. As the soup boils, start plucking the fresh Oha leaves from their different stalks. After the plucking, wash them.
Add the Oha leaves to the soup and stir very well. The fresh aroma and flavor would be releasd and perceived as the soup boils.Don't allow it to boil for a long time because the leaf is very soft and it could lose its nutrients. Let it just boil for few minutes and bring down open.
At this point, the Oha soup is ready to be dished out for enjoyment. Oha leaf and is such a delicacy that should be missing in every family, home or restaurants because of its nutritions and health benefits. It could be prepared for family enjoyment or be eaten at a restaurant. This soup is a healthy and enjoyable meal everyone should have a taste of. I personally prepared the meal for myself.
