A few people have asked about traditional foods here. Various cereals are grown in Benin, including corn, millet, rice, sorghum and soja. Rice is eaten in grain form, but the others are generally ground into flour and then made into “bouillie” (a sort of thick drink) or “pâte” (similar in texture to smooth but stodgy mashed potato). Bean flour is used to make savoury “cakes” - a great favourite of Benjy's, usually eaten with an oily, spicy sauce. There are other foods made from carbohydrates, such as gari and tapioca, made from manioc. Potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes are also grown in Benin, and pounded yams are another common dish.
Beef, chicken and guineafowl meat are widely available, although how often an average Beninese person can afford to eat meat is another question. In some towns pork can also be found. Fish can be found, particularly in the south, but it can be bought in dried or frozen form further north.
Most sauces served with “pâte” are based around onion and tomato, and a bouillon cube gives extra flavour! There is also the famous green “sauce gluante” (gluey sauce?!) made with okra. Spinach is popular too. Homemade peanut butter is often added to tomato sauce too.
Other vegetables available (depending on the season) are marrows, squash, carrots, cabbage, green peppers, red and green chilli peppers (hot!), aubergines, cucumbers and beans (both green and several types of dry).
Fruits include bananas, plantains, pineapples, mangos, papaya, guava and coconuts (or are they nuts really?!). Also some fruits I'd never seen before, but I'm leaving them for another post with photos! Peanuts and cashew nuts are also harvested in Benin, and can be bought all over the country.
Snacks range from “couli-couli” (kind of like baked peanut butter mixed with chilli peppers!) to sweet doughnuts.
Of course, I am far from being an expert in Beninese cuisine, and may be able to give a far more detailed and complete version of this in a few years time! I like cooking, and have enjoyed the challenge of learning to cook new meals. But I sometimes have to stop myself from thinking about the meals I used to love cooking and eating back in Europe! (I have already started a list in my head of foods I want to eat when I'm briefly back in the UK for my sister's wedding at the end of May!)
Benjy eating bean cake, with Maman Sera, who used to look after him during our language lessons in Parakou:
Beef, chicken and guineafowl meat are widely available, although how often an average Beninese person can afford to eat meat is another question. In some towns pork can also be found. Fish can be found, particularly in the south, but it can be bought in dried or frozen form further north.
Most sauces served with “pâte” are based around onion and tomato, and a bouillon cube gives extra flavour! There is also the famous green “sauce gluante” (gluey sauce?!) made with okra. Spinach is popular too. Homemade peanut butter is often added to tomato sauce too.
Other vegetables available (depending on the season) are marrows, squash, carrots, cabbage, green peppers, red and green chilli peppers (hot!), aubergines, cucumbers and beans (both green and several types of dry).
Fruits include bananas, plantains, pineapples, mangos, papaya, guava and coconuts (or are they nuts really?!). Also some fruits I'd never seen before, but I'm leaving them for another post with photos! Peanuts and cashew nuts are also harvested in Benin, and can be bought all over the country.
Snacks range from “couli-couli” (kind of like baked peanut butter mixed with chilli peppers!) to sweet doughnuts.
Of course, I am far from being an expert in Beninese cuisine, and may be able to give a far more detailed and complete version of this in a few years time! I like cooking, and have enjoyed the challenge of learning to cook new meals. But I sometimes have to stop myself from thinking about the meals I used to love cooking and eating back in Europe! (I have already started a list in my head of foods I want to eat when I'm briefly back in the UK for my sister's wedding at the end of May!)
Benjy eating bean cake, with Maman Sera, who used to look after him during our language lessons in Parakou:
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