Cou-cou facts for kids
Cou-cou (pronounced "koo-koo") is a popular and tasty dish from the Caribbean! It's known as coo-coo in some places like the Windward Islands, and fungie (pronounced "fun-jee") in the Leeward Islands and Dominica. This special meal is a national dish in countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cou-cou is mainly made from cornmeal (which is like corn flour) and okra (sometimes called ochroes).
What is Cou-cou Made Of?
The main ingredients for cou-cou are cornmeal and okra. You can easily find cornmeal in bags at most supermarkets. Okra is also available at supermarkets, vegetable markets, and even in home gardens. Both of these ingredients are very affordable. Because they are inexpensive, cou-cou became a common and important meal for many people in Barbados during its early history. In Ghana, a country in Africa, there's a similar dish called banku. It's made from fermented corn flour and eaten with okra stew and fish.
How is Cou-cou Made?
Making cou-cou involves a special cooking tool called a "cou-cou stick" or "fungie stick." This stick is a type of spurtle, which is a tool used for stirring porridge or other thick foods. A cou-cou stick is made of wood and looks like a long, flat rectangle, about 1-foot-long (30 cm). It's a bit like a miniature cricket bat. People in Barbados believe this stick is super important for stirring cou-cou. The dish gets very firm as it cooks, and the cou-cou stick makes it much easier to stir in a big pot.
Where is Cou-cou Eaten?
Cou-cou is often served with Flying fish, which can be fried or steamed. In Barbados, cou-cou and flying fish have become the country's national dish. It's a tradition in Barbados to eat cou-cou on Fridays, both at home and in local restaurants. Sometimes, cou-cou can even be made using breadfruit instead of cornmeal, which gives it a different flavor.
In Trinidad and Tobago, cou-cou (or coo-coo) is often eaten with another popular Caribbean dish called callaloo. It's usually served alongside stewed or fried fish. In some islands, like Barbados, Antigua, or the Virgin Islands, cou-cou might be cooked without okra. When it's made this way, it's often called fengi, fungie, or fungi.
