Akpu
Akpu is a popular Nigerian food. Requiring several days to make, akpu is a wet paste made from cassava, often eaten with egusi soup.
Akpu is traditionally made by peeling and washing raw cassava until it is white. Left in water for 3-4 days, the cassava ferments and becomes soft. It is then filtered with a porous calabash or sieve. Excess water is typically and quickly drained by pouring the wet paste into a sack, upon which is placed something heavy and flat. The paste is then pounded and molded into large balls and simmered for 30-60 seconds, after which it is thoroughly pounded to remove lumps, molded again into smaller balls, boiled for 10-15 minutes, and then pounded until smooth. It is popular throughout Nigeria, particularly in the south.
