DISH RESEARCH · Soup
Abak Atama
Also known as: Abak Atama Soup, Atama Soup
Palm-fruit and atama-leaf soup with meat, fish and periwinkles.

About Abak Atama
Abak atama takes its name from palm fruit and atama leaves. Flo's rendition follows the Ibibio cooking of Akwa Ibom, using the fragrant leaves in a palm-fruit base distinct from plain palm oil.
Beef, cow skin and stockfish cook with onion and seasoning cubes. Smoked and dried fish, ground crayfish and separately boiled periwinkles join the extracted palm fruit as the soup comes together.
Sliced atama leaves finish the gently simmered mixture. Pounded yam accompanies this substantial soup, bringing together the meat, fish and shellfish in the palm-fruit broth.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Abak Atama
Flo's Ibibio-style abak atama with fresh palm fruit and periwinkles.
- Palm fruitsBase
- BeefProtein
- Cow skin (ponmo)Protein
- Smoked fishProtein
- Dried fishProtein
- StockfishProtein
- Atama leavesBase
- OnionAromatic
- Ground crayfishSeasoning
- Unshelled periwinklesProtein
- Habanero pepperSeasoning
- Stock cubesSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- SaltSeasoning
- WaterLiquid
- Pounded yamAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Palm fruits: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual18/38 freshfruit option selected over tinnedconcentrate, broad palm-nut candidate. Full nativefruit extraction38 linked rather than new cannedroute.
- Beef: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual20 selected beef over goat.
- Cow skin (ponmo): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual21/39/46.
- Smoked fish: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Fish source-confirmed. Actual22/40/46 named prepared fish species unprovided.
- Dried fish: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Fish source-confirmed. Actual23/40/46 offered and/or both selected, not substituted freshcatfish36.
- Stockfish: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Fish source-confirmed. Actual24/46, species unresolved.
- Atama leaves: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual25/34/43 freshleaf option selected; species not independently assigned beyond named atama.
- Onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual26/39/46.
- Ground crayfish: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Crustaceans source-confirmed. Actual27/48.
- Unshelled periwinkles: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Molluscs source-confirmed. Actual28/35/41/42/48, whole shell-on snails trimmed/boiled.
- Habanero pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual29 expressly Habanero, not genericpepper to blackpepper guess.
- Stock cubes: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual30/46 exact product formula unresolved.
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual31/42/48.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual40 coldwaterfish rinse,41-43 periwinkle/leafwash andboil,46 meatcook explicit consolidated.
- Pounded yam: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual53 offered serving option selected over semolina/other swallows; prepared component full formula unresolved.
Origins & food traditions
Countries
- Nigeria
- NigeriaCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Ibibio Cuisine
- Efik-Ibibio CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.