Central African Republic

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Akpakpa

Protein-rich seeds from certain cucurbits, ground into a thickening paste for soups and stews; known as akpakpa in the Central African Republic and used much like egusi across West Africa.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Banana Beer (CAR)

Banana Beer

A traditional, lightly alcoholic drink made by fermenting mashed ripe bananas with sorghum or millet flour; home-brewed for ceremonies and social gatherings.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Banana Fritters

Macara ti Fôndô

Ripe bananas dipped in a light batter and deep-fried until puffed and golden, then dusted with sugar; a popular sweet snack and dessert in the Central African Republic.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Cassava Fufu

Gozo

A dense, sticky paste of fermented cassava flour cooked into a smooth dough; torn into pieces and used to scoop up sauces and stews across the Central African Republic.

🇨🇲Cameroon

Chichinga

Brochettes

Beef or chicken threaded on skewers, rubbed in a spiced groundnut and chilli powder and grilled over coals.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Couscous Pudding

Caakiri

Steamed millet or couscous granules stirred into sweetened milk or yoghurt, flavoured with nutmeg and vanilla and served cold; a light, creamy Central African pudding.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Dongo-dongo

A thick okra soup or sauce simmered with dried or smoked fish, onions, garlic and hot peppers; often thickened with tomato paste or a pinch of baking soda and served with fufu or rice.

🇳🇬Nigeria

Egusi Soup

Egusi

Ground melon seeds cooked in palm oil with pepper, leafy greens and assorted meat or fish until the seed sets into soft lumps in the oil.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Foutou

Pounded plantains, yams or a mix of both worked into a smooth, starchy swallow; served as the carbohydrate base for stews and sauces in the Central African Republic.

🇨🇲Cameroon

Ginger Juice

Jus de gingembre

Raw ginger blitzed with water, lemon and sugar and strained into a fierce, throat-burning cold drink.

🇬🇲The Gambia

Hibiscus Juice

Bissap

Dried hibiscus calyces steeped with sugar, mint and sometimes orange-blossom water into a deep red drink served ice-cold.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Kanda (CAR)

Kanda

Beef meatballs bound with ground pumpkin seeds and simmered in a thick tomato sauce; the pumpkin seeds give a nutty body that sets the Central African version apart.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Karkanji

Dried hibiscus calyces and fresh ginger steeped in hot water, sweetened and served chilled; a deep-red, tart and refreshing drink found at markets and roadside stalls.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Maboké

Fish fillets steamed in banana or cassava leaves over a bed of onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and hot peppers; eaten in the Central African Republic and the Congo basin.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Makara

Whole small freshwater fish, often capitaine or tilapia, rubbed with salt and deep-fried until crisp; sold from street stalls and eaten as a snack with a spicy dipping sauce.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Mocaf Beer

Mocaf

The best-known Central African lager, a pale, easy-drinking beer brewed in Bangui and sold in bars and markets across the country.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Palm Butter Soup (CAR)

Palm Butter Soup

A rich, red soup made from pounded palm nut pulp simmered with chicken, smoked fish, peanuts, okra and leafy greens; thickened by the natural palm oil and served with fufu or rice.

🇬🇲Guinée Forestière (Nzérékoré / Forest), The Gambia

Palm Wine

Emu

Sap tapped from a palm tree and fermenting from the moment it is collected — milky, sweet in the morning, sour and stronger by evening.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Pounded Cassava Leaves

Koko ya

Cassava leaves pounded to a fine pulp and simmered for hours with palm oil, smoked or dried fish and onions until the greens collapse into a dark, earthy sauce.

🇨🇫Central African Republic

Spinach and Groundnut Stew

Gnian

Tender leafy greens stewed with ground peanuts, onions and palm oil into a thick, nutty sauce; a home-style vegetable dish served with fufu or rice.