Okoho

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Okoho is the main traditional soup of the Idoma people in Benue State, Nigeria. It is made from the plant Cissus populnea, which belongs to the grape family (Vitaceae). The soup is prepared using the Okoho stick, which becomes very slimy after cooking. It is usually cooked with bush meat such as grass-cutter, alligator, or smoked meat, and is best served with pounded yam (Onihi). It can also be eaten with semolina, eba (garri), or yam flour. Okoho soup is often made without oil. It is highly valued at Idoma celebrations like weddings, burials, birthdays, and other festivities. Many people believe it has medicinal properties and helps digestion. Other Nigerian groups also call it Okoho; Yoruba people refer to the stick as Ajara or Orogbolo, while Hausa speakers call it Dafara.