Ogbono Seed

Ogbono is the seed of the African bush mango, a tree native to the rainforests and savannas of Central and West Africa, especially common across southern Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon. The kernels are dried and ground into a fine powder that is stirred into simmering broth, where its high fat and mucilage content, roughly fifty to sixty percent oil by weight, thickens the liquid into the thick, viscous stew known as ogbono soup, a staple across Nigeria and neighboring countries. Because the ground seed's thickening power comes from its own natural gum rather than from starch, ogbono soup develops a characteristic stretchy texture that gives the dish its other common name, draw soup.