Benniseed Soup

Benniseed soup is a thick Sierra Leonean soup of toasted sesame seeds, peanuts and okra, usually served over rice.

The name comes from benni, the Krio word for sesame. Krio is the English-based language of Sierra Leone. Sesame and peanuts give the soup its nutty flavour and heavy body, while okra thickens it further. Recipes vary from kitchen to kitchen, and cooks adjust the heat and seasoning to their own taste.

What it really is

Sesame seeds are toasted until golden, then ground with peanuts into a paste. Onion, chilli and red palm oil are softened in a pot, the paste is stirred in with sliced okra, and the soup simmers until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Some cooks add meat or fish, so the base is vegetable but the finished bowl may not be.

How it's served

• Hot, ladled over a mound of plain white rice that soaks up the sauce.
• As a main meal, with the soup and rice on the same plate.
• With a clear heat from the chilli, which cooks adjust to the household.

How to write it on the menu

• Name it Benniseed Soup and say it is served over rice, so guests know what to expect.
• State any meat or fish added, since the base is vegetable and the protein changes the dish.
• Flag peanuts and sesame, the two allergens in the soup, on the menu and in your allergen notes.
• Say how hot it is. Chilli is standard, so offer a milder version if the kitchen can make one.