Itsekiri Kitchen
Cooking Videos
Banga Soup
Banga Soup (Palm Nut Soup)
The crown jewel of Itsekiri cuisine. Made from cold-extracted palm fruit cream, banga soup is served with starch at every Temotsi (traditional wedding), funeral, and celebration. The Delta State version uses beletete leaves, oburunbebe sticks, and a unique spice blend.
Read the full recipeAll Nigerian Recipes
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Sisi Jemimah
Starch (Usi)
Starch — The Perfect Swallow for Banga
Starch (usi) is the signature swallow of the Niger Delta — stretchy, slightly tangy, and made from fermented cassava. The Portuguese introduced cassava to the Itsekiri in the 1500s, and it became a staple. Starch is always paired with banga soup or owho soup.
Read the full recipeAll Nigerian Recipes
Dobby's Signature
Owho Soup
Owho (Owo) Soup
A thick, golden soup made with garri, palm oil, and potash — unique to the Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Isoko peoples. Owho soup must be served at every Delta State wedding — its absence is considered an insult to guests. Always paired with starch.
Nigerian Food TV
Ify's Kitchen
Egusi Soup
Egusi (Melon Seed) Soup
Nigeria's most popular soup — made from ground melon seeds, leafy greens, and an assortment of proteins. Every region has its own version. The Itsekiri serve it with pounded yam, eba, or starch.
All Nigerian Recipes
Chef Lola's Kitchen
More Nigerian Dishes
More Itsekiri & Nigerian Favorites
From jollof rice to pepper soup to pounded yam — the full spectrum of Niger Delta and Nigerian cooking. Many of these dishes are served at INC-USA chapter events and the biennial Convention.
Sisi Yemmie
All Nigerian Recipes
My Active Kitchen
Iwere Academy
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Our cooking courses teach you the authentic techniques passed down through generations — from extracting palm fruit cream to making perfect starch.
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