Ogiri Okpeyi – Fermented Seed Condiment for Igbo Soups

Ogiri Okpeyi

Fermented seed condiment, dark and dense and unapologetically strong. Known as okpeyi or okpehe, and used across Igbo and Middle Belt kitchens wherever a soup needs depth that seasoning cubes cannot give it.

This is the ingredient that separates soup that tastes correct from soup that tastes almost correct. A very small amount changes the entire pot.

How to use it

1. Use less than you think. A teaspoon for a medium pot is plenty. It is meant to sit underneath everything, not on top of it.
2. Dissolve it in a little warm water or crush it between your fingers before adding, so it disperses instead of sitting in a lump.
3. Add it early, with the stock, so it has time to settle into the soup.

What it goes into

• Ofe onugbu, bitterleaf soup
• Egusi and ogbono
• Oha and nsala
• Ora soup and most long-cooked village soups

Smell and taste

Pungent on opening, in the same family as ogiri Igbo and iru. Deeply savoury once it is in the pot. If the smell worries you, that is normal and it does not survive cooking.

Product details

• Also known as: okpeyi, okpehe, ogiri okpei
• Size: 3.2oz
• Storage: Keep sealed and refrigerate after opening. Store it in a jar unless you want the whole fridge to know.

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