Tag: Green

Nigerian Cuisine

Èfó Wòròwó ati Asala

Because I can, could, did. This soup combines the nuttiness of Asala with the silken, softness of Wòròwó. The first question people ask is, isn’t it bitter? Isn’t the Asala bitter? I assure them that it is nothing but crunch and cream, Egusiesque in most of its ways. Nothing astringent, nothing offputting about using it to […]

Nigerian Cuisine

The Anatomy of Scent Leaf

It never ceases to amaze me just how connected we are, from Lagos to Laos. Scent leaves, Perilla, Shiso, of the family Lamiaceae. These herbaceous, perennial shrubs are cousins in the mint family I thought I knew everything about this plant. Growing up, it featured prominently in pepper soup, added at the last minute to bring […]