Fufu is a pounded meal found in West African cuisine. It is a Twi word that originates from the Akans in Ghana. The word has been expanded to include several variations of the pounded meal found in other African countries including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Angola and Gabon. It also includes variations in the Greater Antilles and Central America, where African culinary influence is high.
Ẹ̀bà (Yoruba) also known as Ebe or Pinon' is a staple swallow from Nigeria, Togo and Benin, also eaten in the West African sub-region and other African countries. The term èbà originates from Yoruba. It is a cooked starchy vegetable food made from dried grated cassava (manioc) flour commonly known as garri all across West Africa. It is often eaten with rich soups and stews, with beef, stockfish or mutton. The dish is often described as having a slightly sour, sharp taste.
Egusi (Yoruba) is the name for the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants, which, after being dried and ground, are used as a major ingredient in West African cuisine.
Cameroonian cuisine is one of the most varied in Africa due to Cameroon's location on the crossroads between the north, west, and center of the continent; the diversity in ethnicity with mixture ranging from Bantus, Semi-bantus and Shuwa Arabs, as well as the influence of German, French and English colonialization.
Àmàlà is a staple swallow food originating from Nigeria popularized by the Yoruba ethnic group of Southwestern Nigeria and other parts of Yorubaland. It is made of yam, cassava flour, or unripe plantain flour. Tubers of yams are peeled, sliced, cleaned, dried and then ground into flour. It is also called èlùbọ́. Yams are white in colour but turn brown when dried which gives àmàlà its colour. It is a popular side dish served with ewédú and gbẹ̀gìrì, but is also served with a variety of other ọbè(soups), such as ẹ̀fọ́, ilá, and ogbono.
The cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo varies widely, representing the food of indigenous people. Cassava, fufu, rice, plantain and potatoes are generally the staple foods eaten with other side dishes.
Ghanaian cuisine refers to the meals of the Ghanaian people. The main dishes of Ghana are centered around starchy staple foods, accompanied by either a sauce or soup as well as a source of protein. The primary ingredients for the vast majority of soups and stews are tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. As a result of these main ingredients, most Ghanaian jollof rice, soups, and stews appear red or orange.
Draw soup is the name of soups from the southeastern and southwestern parts of Nigeria that are made from okra, ogbono , or ewedu leaves (jute). The name derives from the thick viscosity characteristic of the broth as it draws out of the bowl when eaten either with a spoon or, more characteristically, by dipping a small piece of solid (fufu) into it. It can be served with numerous Nigerian fufu meals, including eba (garri) and pounded yam. Ewedu can be used to make a Yoruba soup that is traditionally served with amala.
West African cuisine encompasses a diverse range of foods that are split between its 16 countries. In West Africa, many families grow and raise their own food, and within each there is a division of labor. Indigenous foods consist of a number of plant species and animals, and are important to those whose lifestyle depends on farming and hunting.
Nigerian cuisine consists of dishes or food items from the hundreds of Native African ethnic groups that comprises Nigeria. Like other West African cuisines, it uses spices and herbs with palm oil or groundnut oil to create deeply flavored sauces and soups.
Igbo cuisine is the various foods of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria.
Central African cuisine includes the cuisines, cooking traditions, practices, ingredients and foods of the Central African Republic (CAR). Indigenous agriculture in the country includes millet, sorghum, banana, yam, okra, yellow onion, garlic, spinach, rice and palm oil. Imported crops of American origin include maize, manioc (cassava), peanuts, chili peppers, sweet potato and tomato. Additional foods include onions, garlic, chiles and peanuts.
Liberian cuisine refers to the cuisine of Liberia. It is centered on unique dishes of rice, cassava, plantain, yam, tropical fruits and vegetables, as well as fish, meat and more. Liberian cuisine is also influenced by African American through Americo Liberians and Caribbean food and recipes.
Egusi sauce or Egusi Soup, traditionally Egusi or Obe Egusi in Yoruba, is a culinary sauce prepared with egusi seeds as a primary ingredient. Egusi seeds are the fat- and protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants. Egusi sauce is common and prevalent across Central Africa as mbíka, and may be served atop rice, cooked vegetables, or grilled meat, such as goat, chicken, beef, or fish. It may also be served atop fufu, omelettes, amala, and eba, among other foods. Egusi soup is also consumed in West Africa, sometimes with chicken.
Okra or Okro soup is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. Other vegetables can be added to the soup as well, such as ewedu, kerenkere, or Ugu leaf. Depending on the specific variant being prepared, okra soup can have a clear broth or be deep green in colour, much like the okra plant itself. Okra can have a slippery or "slimy" mouthfeel. The edible green seed pods can also be used in other stews and soups, such as the American dish gumbo.
Goat meat pepper soup, also referred to as nwo-nwo, ngwo-ngwo, and goat pepper soup, is a soup in Nigeria. Goat meat is used as a primary ingredient, and some versions may use crayfish. For variations boiled yams, potatoes, or plantains may be added. Versions of the soup may be spicy and hot. The soup is always served hot and is made with a blend of different spices which gives an intense spiciness and flavor to the soup. The dish has been described as being the most popular out of all the Nigerian pepper soups. It is a light soup that is often prepared without the use of oil, and may also be drunk in the style of a beverage. Owing to the ‘light’ texture of the soup, it is typically eaten alone but it can be accompanied by a side-dish known as agidi. White rice is also a common side-dish served with goat meat pepper soup. It has been described as pairing well with palm wine and beer.
Pounded yam or Iyán (Yoruba) or Ruam-Yo (Tiv) or "Akpu, Utara-ji or Nni-ji" (Igbo) is a Nigerian swallow or Okele food native to the Yoruba, Edo, Igbo Tiv and Ebira ethnic groups. It is a traditional food prepared by pounding boiled yam with a mortar and pestle. Pounded yam is similar to mashed potatoes but heavier in consistency. It is a smooth and tasty delicacy traditionally eaten with the hands.
Ofe achara is an Igbo soup made mainly from Achara and mgbam. Ofe In the language refers to soup.
Ukazi or Okazi soup is an Igbo soup similar to Afang soup of the Efik tribe; the difference between the two is that Afang is thicker than Okasi aside the peculiarity to each tribe. The soup is made majorly from two leaves: okazi and water leaf.
Edo black soup also known as omoebe is a Nigerian soup made mainly from three leaves namely scent leaf, uziza leaf and bitter leaf. Other ingredients include beef, onion, crayfish, pepper and palm oil.
