Ivorian cuisine facts for kids
Ivorian cuisine is the traditional food from Côte d'Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast. It uses many ingredients like root vegetables (tubers), grains, pork, chicken, and fresh fruits. Seafood, fish, and spices are also very important. The food is quite similar to what you find in other West African countries. Common everyday foods include grains and tubers. Ivory Coast is one of the world's biggest producers of cocoa. It also produces palm oil and coffee.
Popular Foods and Dishes
Cassava and plantains are a big part of Ivorian cooking. A corn paste called aitiu is used to make corn balls. Peanuts are also used a lot in many dishes.
Attiéké is a popular side dish. It is made from grated cassava. It tastes and feels a lot like couscous. A common street snack is alloco. This dish uses ripe plantain bananas fried in palm oil. It is seasoned with a spicy sauce made from onions and chili. You can eat alloco by itself or with a hard-boiled egg. It also makes a great side dish.
Grilled fish and grilled chicken are very popular non-vegetarian foods. A lean, low-fat Guinea fowl is common in the area. People often call it poulet bicyclette, which means "bicycle chicken." Seafood options include tuna, sardines, shrimp, and bonito. Smoked fish is also popular, just like in many other parts of West Africa.
Maafe (say "maf-eh") is a common dish. It features meat cooked in a tasty peanut sauce.
Slow-cooked stews are another common food in Ivory Coast. These stews use many different ingredients. Kedjenou is a spicy stew. It has chicken and vegetables. They are slow-cooked in a sealed pot with little or no added liquid. This way, the flavors of the chicken and vegetables become very strong. It also makes the chicken very tender. Kedjenou is usually cooked in a special pottery jar called a canari. It can be cooked over a low fire or in an oven.
Ivorian land snails are very large and much loved. They are often grilled or eaten in a sauce.
Fruits and Vegetables
Many different fruits are eaten in Ivory Coast. These include mandarins, mango, passionfruit, soursops, and coconuts. Eggplant is a vegetable often used in many dishes.
Foufou is a dish made from mashed plantains and palm oil. Foutou is similar but made from mashed plantains and yam. Foutu banane is a type of foutou. It is beaten until it is stretchy. It is often eaten with sauce graine. This sauce is made from palm nuts crushed into a paste. It is topped with bright red oil.
Gombo frais (fresh okra) is a stew. It contains pieces of tomato, palm oil, and chopped okra. It might be served with a side of alloco (fried plantains). Another option is riz gras (fatty rice). This is Ivory Coast's version of the West African jollof rice. The rice grains are cooked in a rich soup. This soup is made from onions fried until sweet. Then, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and tomato paste are added for deep flavors.
Attiéké has a mild taste. It is made from fermented cassava pulp. This pulp is grated and shaped into tiny, couscous-like balls. It can be served with Scotch peppers or Maggi bouillon for extra flavor.
Drinks
Bangui is a local palm wine. Gnamakoudji is a drink made from ginger. The ginger is pressed through a cloth. Then, pineapple juice, lemon, and vanilla are added to make it smooth. Nyamanku is another local non-alcoholic drink. It is made from ground ginger root mixed with the juices of oranges, pineapples, and lemons.
Maquis Restaurants
Ivorians have special small, open-air restaurants called maquis. These are unique to Ivory Coast. Maquis usually serve grilled chicken and fish. These are served with onions and tomatoes. Popular side dishes include attiéké or kedjenou.
See also
In Spanish: Gastronomía de Costa de Marfil para niños
