VEGETARIANS and the squeamish should look away now!

One of Bolton market’s most adventurous cooks has come up with a new dish for the town — soup made from goat heads.

NKONO, the Cameroonian food stall in the market, has rustled up the new speciality for those looking for something a little different. It’s spicy, and healthy – and it seems to be going to down well with punters.

Alain Job, owner and head chef at NKONO, said: “We are gaining more and more confidence, and trying more and more things. In Africa, this is a mythical dish, a very special delicacy – only certain places will serve it and you have to book a seat in advance to go and try it.”

Resourceful Mr Job said the soup is made with almost every part of the goat’s head, including the brain, and cooked in 11 different spices, including various chillies and ginger.

All of the ingredients for the dish – and for all of NKONO’s dishes – are bought fresh from other vendors at Bolton Market.

Mr Job asked a butcher at the market specially for the goat.

“It has gone down a storm, and this is what I was expecting from the lovely people of Bolton.

“The market is where you discover new things, where you try new things, and I can provide it.

“There is all the local food available at the market for local people, it is affordable and good quality.”

Father and son team Mark and Sean Frayn travelled to the market from Salford to tackle NKONO’s latest speciality.

Sean, aged 26, who works in Bolton, said: “I wanted to bring my dad because the food’s always great, and we had to try this.

“It’s very spicy but really nice, I enjoyed it.”

Mark, aged 63, said: “We like spicy food and we are quite adventurous with what we eat, so it’s good to try it.

“I’ve honestly never had goat’s head soup before though, so it’s certainly something different – but it’s very nice.”

Mr Frayn added he had just returned from Goa, in India, and so is used to spicy food, but said the soup was hotter than a vindaloo.

Bolton Market and the NKONO stall are open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.