Made from melon seeds rich in fat and protein that have been dried and ground up, this soup or stew typically contains leafy vegetables, meat or fish. Popular among the Ibo people of Nigeria, variations of this rich stew can be found all over West Africa. In Nigeria, it’s usually eaten with pounded yam.
Thieboudienne from Senegal
This traditional dish is made from rice, fish and tomato sauce and is flavoured with spiced onions, carrots, cabbage, cassava and peanut oil. Interestingly, a dish from the American deep south called Savannah red rice is very similar – many believe it was taken to the new world from here and adapted by the Creole people.
Cachupa from Cape Verde
This famous dish from the volcanic archipelago is a stew of slow cooked corn, cassava, sweet potato, fish or meat. It is commonly referred to as the country’s national dish and nine out of the ten inhabited islands have their own version of the cachupa.
This spicy, delicious dish has a base of onions, garlic, peppers and cabbage that is topped with typically chicken marinated with lemon and onions. A Senegalese staple, it is one of the most popular food items in West Africa.
This popular Ivorian dish consists of a spicy stew that is slow-cooked in a terracotta pot over fire or coals. Usually made with guinea fowl or chicken, it adapts well to many variations. Although it is traditionally served with attieke (flaked cassava), most other starches go well with it too.
For the sake of smooth-sailing diplomatic relations, jollof rice is ascribed to the whole region although fierce wars (of words, thankfully!) have broken out to determine which nation makes the best version of this spicy tomato rice dish. It is evidently one of the most popular West African dishes and each country has its own version. Furthermore, jollof rice have also garnered international interest with chefs, such as Jamie Oliver, controversially including it in their cookbooks.
