Bitter leaf
비터리프
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Photo: CostaPPPR · CC BY 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
As the name says, a "bitter leaf." In Nigeria, the leaves are squeezed and washed several times to remove the bitterness, leaving only a gentle bitter note, and then cooked into soup. Sick wild chimpanzees have even been seen chewing these leaves.
Flavor and aroma
- It's extremely bitter. After washing, only a gentle bitterness remains.
- Some say that, like apple cider vinegar or lime, the bitterness becomes appealing once you're used to it.
Fun facts
- It's called onugbu in the Igbo language and ewuro in Yoruba in Nigeria.
- The signature dish, ofe onugbu (bitter leaf soup), isn't very bitter despite its name, because the leaves are washed thoroughly.
- A 1989 study in Tanzania observed a sick wild chimpanzee chewing these leaves.
In the kitchen
Soups
- Add it to Nigerian bitter leaf soup, egusi (melon seed) soup, ogbono soup, okra soup and pepper soup.
Cameroon
- Make ndolé, with peanuts and meat.
Preparation
- Put the leaves in salted water, then squeeze, wash and wring them several times to control the bitterness. Taste as you go until the right amount of bitterness is left.
Goes well with
MeatSmoked fishEgusiPeanutsPalm oilChili
Tips
- Using pre-washed frozen leaves cuts preparation time in half. Dried leaves can be used too.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 비터리프
- English names
- bitter leaf
- Scientific name
- Gymnanthemum amygdalinum
- Former scientific names
- Vernonia amygdalina
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Gymnanthemum
- Other names and notes
- Igbo: onugbu; Yoruba: ewuro; Hausa: shuwaka
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Wikipedia(Ofe onugbu, Vernonia amygdalina)
- Afrifood Network
- Nigerian Food TV
- Clove Garden
Name and classification
Photo
CostaPPPR · CC BY 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)