Benin cuisine facts for kids

Maize is a common main food in southern Benin

Where Benin is located

Yams are a common main food in northern Benin

Benin is a country in West Africa. Its food is famous for its interesting ingredients and tasty dishes. People in Benin often eat fresh meals with many different kinds of sauces. Meat can be quite expensive there. So, meals usually have less meat and more vegetable oil.

Food from Southern Benin

In southern Benin, the most common food is corn. People often use corn to make a thick dough. This dough is usually eaten with sauces made from peanuts or tomatoes.

The most common meats in southern Benin are fish and chicken. But people also eat beef, pork, goat, and even bush rat. Meats are often fried in palm oil or peanut oil.

Other important foods include rice, beans, tomatoes, and couscous. Many fruits grow in this area. These include mandarin oranges, oranges, bananas, kiwifruit, avocados, pineapples, and peanuts.

Food from Northern Benin

Yams are the main food in northern Benin. They are also often served with sauces made from peanuts or tomatoes.

People in the northern parts of Benin eat beef and pork. These meats are also fried in palm or peanut oil. Sometimes, they are cooked in sauces. Cheese is also used a lot in some dishes.

Like in the south, couscous, rice, and beans are common. Fruits like mangos, oranges, and avocados are also popular.

How Food is Made

Acarajé is made from deep-fried black-eyed peas

Aloko is fried plantain

Fufu with peanut soup

Frying food in palm or peanut oil is a very common way to cook meat. Smoked fish is also prepared a lot in Benin.

People use grinders to make corn flour. This flour is then made into a dough and served with sauces. "Chicken on the spit" is a traditional dish. It's chicken roasted over a fire on wooden sticks.

Sometimes, palm roots are made soft by soaking them in salty water with sliced garlic. Then, they are used in different dishes. Many people cook on mud stoves. They also use mud pots to keep food fresh and to store water. These pots are usually kept outside their homes.

Special Dishes

Wagasi Cheese

Wagasi is a special cheese made from cow's milk. It comes from northern Benin and is made by the Fulani people. You can find a lot of it in cities like Parakou. It is a soft cheese with a mild taste and a red skin. It is often used in Beninese cooking.

Àkàrà

Àkàrà is a dish made from black-eyed peas. The peas are peeled and shaped into a ball. Then, they are deep-fried in red palm oil. You can find Àkàrà in most parts of Benin, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Other Special Foods

Here are some other special dishes and foods from Benin:

• Akassa—a fermented corn dough served with a sauce.
• Akpan—corn dumplings, dipped in a sauce.
• Aloko—fried plantain.
• Amiwo—red corn dough, often made with tomato puree, onion, and peppers. It is served with a sauce.
• Beignets—a cake made of roasted peanuts, cooked in oil.
• Dough—corn dough, usually soaked in sauces.
• Fufu—mashed yams formed into a paste.
• Garri—a popular West African food made from cassava roots.
• Moyo—a sauce usually served with fried fish. It is made of tomato sauce, onion, and peppers.
• Igname pilée—pounded yams with chili, tomatoes, onion, chicken broth, and peanuts with beef.

Drinks

Choukoutou or "chouk" is a traditional millet beer from Benin. It is commonly enjoyed in northern Benin. It is also sent to southern Benin by train and road.

Sodabi is a traditional drink made from the wine palm tree. It is often enjoyed at special events and ceremonies.