Cameroon – Kwakwalang

by Nghonazie Annabel

Kwakwalang is a typical bakossi and mbacham delicacy though not a most say main traditional dish. To this group of people it is loved and prepared highly by them. Kwakwalang is a soup made from fresh soft cocoyam leaves mostly red Igbo coco or red macabo coco leaves. This soup can be eaten with boiled cocoyams or achu or water fufu but most often it can be seen served with achu for the mbacham people and water fufu for the bakossi people. This soup is prepared because it is cheap and the leaves can easily be gotten. Some people even prepare this soup with cow intestine in much quantity and decides to just drink it empty without accompanying it with achu or cocoyam. The bakossi people even add raw or boiled garden egg as an accompaniment which they say it increases the taste of the soup for them. Kwakwalang is also known as black soup when a small amount of chobbi powder is added to it.

Cooking method

Kwakwalang is prepared by boiling

Cooking ingredients

• Soft fresh green cocoyam leaves (red Igbo coco or red macabo coco leaves)
• Njansang
• Dry fish
• Cower intestine and towel
• Palm oil
• Pepeb
• Salt and maggi

Cooking process

1. Wash meat very well because cow intestine has a lot of sand so it is advisable to wash it thoroughly and if possible under running tap water
2. Put the meat in a pot, add small salt and water and put on the fire
3. When the meat is half way done, add the dry fish and cover
4. Grind njansang and some pepeb and keep aside
5. Wash the leaves and put in a pot, add 2 grains of pepeb  in the pot, add some water and put on the fire
6. Boil the leaves under low heat for 10-15 minutes
7. Add a bit of limestone or niki to maintain the green color of the leaves
8. When the leaves are ready, remove and allow to cold. When it’s cold enough, put in a blender and blend or put in a mortar and pound in case there is no blender
9. Add the blended leaves, njansang and pepeb to the meat and fish in the pot and stir well
10. Add water according to how thick you want the soup to be
11. Add maggi and salt and taste for a balance. If everything is ok, add the palm oil, cover the pot and allow to cook for 20 minutes and kwakwalang is ready.
12. Serve empty, with water fufu, achu or coco yams.

Good food good life. Enjoy your meal