Description
Kanda is ponmo that has been singed over an open fire before it is cleaned, and that step is the whole difference. The skin picks up a smoky edge and a firmer bite than the pale boiled kind, and it holds its shape through a long cook instead of collapsing into the pot.
Sold as a 1kg pack, cut and ready for the pot. It goes into pepper soup, egusi, ofe nsala and any stew that needs something with real chew in it.
Kanda is the singed version. The hide is burned over a fire first, which scorches off the hair and leaves a smoky note in the skin, then it is scraped, washed and cut. In Nigerian kitchens it is the piece people quietly hope lands on their plate.
Standard in pepper soup, egusi and ofe nsala. It contributes texture rather than taste, so season the pot for the other ingredients and let the ponmo carry it.