Eru (soup) facts for kids

Eru is a delicious and popular soup from Cameroon, a country in Central Africa. It's a special dish of the Bayangi people, who live in the Manyu region of southwestern Cameroon.

What is Eru Soup?

Eru soup is a tasty vegetable soup. It is made mainly from the finely shredded leaves of a plant called Gnetum africanum, which is also known as eru or okok.

What's in Eru Soup?

Besides the eru leaves, other ingredients are added to make this soup rich and flavorful. These include:

• Waterleaf or Spinach: These green vegetables are stewed with the eru leaves.
• Palm Oil: This oil gives the soup its distinct color and taste.
• Crayfish: Dried crayfish adds a wonderful seafood flavor.
• Protein: People often add smoked fish, cow skin (called kanda), or beef to the soup for extra protein and flavor.

How Do People Eat Eru?

Eru soup is traditionally eaten with starchy foods that help scoop up the soup. The most common accompaniments are:

• Water-fufu: This is a fermented dough made from cassava.
• Garri: Another popular food made from cassava, often served as a thick paste.

These starchy sides make the meal filling and complete.

Eru in Pictures

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  A woman slicing Eru leaves, getting them ready for the soup.

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  The cooking process of Eru soup.

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  Fresh Eru leaves, ready to be bought and cooked.

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  Crayfish, an important ingredient for Eru soup.

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  White fermented cassava flour, also known as "water Fufu."

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  Cassava flour, a common side dish for Eru soup.

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  Cow skin, locally called "kanda," often added to Eru.

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  Lunch is ready! A plate of water fufu served with Eru soup.

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  Eru soup with pieces of cow skin.

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  Cassava tubers, from which fufu and garri are made.