15 Amazing Dishes in West Africa

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Are you in any country in West Africa, and you need clarification on what amazing West African dishes to get? Are you in your house wondering what new recipe of amazing dishes in West Africa you would love to try in your kitchen? Stop looking too far because you are in the right place.

Welcome to West Africa, a continent with over seventeen countries with exquisite traditions and distinctive delicacies. West Africa has been blessed with great countries, and each country has its traditions; within these traditions are amazing dishes you just have to try.
Speaking of amazing dishes in West Africa, you will enter a whole world of several dishes found in some of the great countries in West Africa, so buckle up; it will be a whole flavour and colour-filled trip.

Before you get too familiar with the amazing dishes in West Africa, you have to know the countries on this continent. West Africa is a continent that consists of over seventeen countries. Each country has several places, including states, and each state has its amazing and beautiful traditions. What is tradition without its traditional dishes?

Countries in West Africa and Their Dishes

• Togo
• Burkina Faso
• Guinea
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• Sierra Leone
• Guinea- Bissau
• Mali
• Senegal
• Cape Verde
• Liberia
• Mauritania
• Benin
• Ivory Coast
• The Gambia

These are the countries in West Africa, but it gets even more intriguing, be patient. You will be in wonder at the amount of food you can find in each of these countries.
Familiarity with various countries helps expand your knowledge of a completely different environment outside your own.

This cuts across clothing, fashion, and language; you can even get familiar with these countries’ beautiful traditions and lifestyles. So why not get up from your boring and everyday lifestyle, live a little, learn something new about the world, prepare new and exciting meals, mix flavors and add some spice to your life?

Create a new and beautiful world around you because your world is what you make it to be. You can create this new world, starting from just your kitchen.

What Are the Amazing Dishes in West Africa?

This part will give you just a sneak peek of this amazing world of West African countries and their delicacies, but it is going to be left to you to create this world on your own. You are going to see the different dishes, there are so many, but you are going to get a taste and feel of this amazing world of traditions and food.

The first West African country is;

Togo

Togo is considered one of the smallest countries in West Africa, but Togo still has very traditional, healthy, and delicious meals.

You will see a few dishes in Togo, get familiar with the health benefits, and find some simple recipes for these dishes.

Fufu

The first on this list of amazing dishes in West Africa is Fufu. Fufu seems a popular staple across West Africa, and Togo is one of the “fufu eating” countries. Fufu is considered an everyday meal in Togo, and of course, it is very easy and quick to prepare.

Fufu is prepared by the pounding of soft and already boiled yam. After the yam has been pounded, the yam is then molded or rolled into the dough.

This staple can be enjoyed with anything you love; it can be your favorite sauce or that leftover soup you just remembered was in the freezer. To give you a brighter picture, here are what you can enjoy your fufu with;

• Okra soup
• Egusi soup
• Kentomire
• Fresh fish tomato soup
• Goat meat light soup
• Togolese green pepper soup
• Okra stew
• Togolese pepper soup with assorted meat
• Ademe Dessi
• Togolese palm nut and meat

Feel free to enjoy your fufu with anything of your choice, this would create a world of interesting flavors, taste, color, and overall health benefits. So don’t be boring, go to your kitchen and create some magic.

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Akume and Ademe Sauce

AKUME

This is one of the amazing dishes in West Africa, it is a delicious meal and is eaten and enjoyed across Togo, this food is usually prepared with ground maize, water, and fermented cassava.

Akume is very commonly paired with Ademe sauce, this sauce is usually prepared with a few ingredients like;

• Fish
• Onions
• Meat
• Salt
• Pepper
• Palm oil
• Crabs
• Veggies
• Water

Pairing up Akume to anything is pretty much based on your preference so feel free to enjoy and allow yourself to explore tastes and flavors.

You would need a few ingredients for your Akume recipe, and they are;

• Maize
• Salt
• Water
• Cassava dough
• Black pepper
• Goat meat
• Smoked fish

Spicy Beef and Spinach Stew

The name alone would give you the impression that this would taste amazing, well your impression was right, this tastes amazing.

From the beef to the healthy spinach stew, to the taste of the flavors in the stew. Don’t you just want to try it? Don’t worry, you don’t have to crave anymore, you are in the right place.

To get started on your recipe for spicy beef and spinach stew, you would need a few ingredients like;

• Tomatoes
• Pepper
• Spices
• Beef
• Curry
• Spinach

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Kentomire

A very popular staple, Kentomire is one of the amazing dishes in West Africa, it can be found in some countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and so many others.

This meal is very healthy as the main ingredient for the preparation of this dish is cocoyam leaves, and they possess a lot of great health benefits, not forgetting the amazing taste it gives the dish.

Incorporating kentomire in your daily meal is not only healthy and great for you, imagine the new flavors you are going to be opening yourself to, making it one country at a time, one flavor at a time.

If you happened to find yourself in Togo, don’t look too far to enjoy their food, buy yourself a portion of kentomire, or prepare in your kitchen. So you don’t need to feel stranded on what food you would love to eat, while you are in Togo or any other West African country, kentomire is on this list, as well as many other amazing dishes in West Africa. So get your journal and pen, and add kentomire to your “to-eat” list of amazing dishes in West Africa. You do not want to miss out on this one.

It is very easy to prepare kentomire at home, you just need your fire recipe and a few ingredients and you are good to go.

To have the best experience of amazing dishes found in West Africa, like kentomire, you would need a few ingredients and a killer recipe, what is a killer meal without a killer recipe?

Ingredients;

Here are a few ingredients you would need to prepare this dish;

• Cocoyam leaves
• Egusi
• Palm oil
• Pepper
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried fish
• Egg
• Tomatoes

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Once again, you don’t want to be too boring with your meals, do you? Good news. Kentomire can be paired with a few other dishes. You don’t have to be simple, so get ready to experiment with flavors and food.

Here’s a list of other food you can enjoy kentomire with;

• Boiled yam
• Plantains
• Fried pam
• Boiled unripe plantain
• Rice

Guinea

Welcome to this world of guinea dishes, feel free to try some when you are guinea. Explore and expand your flavors and ingredients by adding a few of the food from this to your everyday meals. Guinea is not an exemption from this list of amazing dishes in west Africa, because, like other countries in West Africa, guinea has amazing and delicious dishes you just have to try.

Mango stew

This dish is very popular in guinea, also known as mangue sauce. This sauce is a very popular staple across guinea that it can be found almost everywhere in the country.

Try to imagine the flavor and scent of this dish, don’t you just love it already? You too can enjoy this dish at home, at work, or anywhere you find yourself. Now you don’t have to go to guinea to get a taste of mango stew, all you need are some ingredients to get you started on your mango stew journey.

A list of the ingredients you would need for the preparation of mango sauce;

• Onions
• Peppers
• Palm oil
• Water
• Dry fish
• Mangoes

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Tapalapa Bread (Corn Bread)

This bread is a very common staple in guinea, it Is made with cornmeal. Tapalapa bread can be considered a snack in guinea.

Feel free to add a few fruits or spices to your cornbread, to make it easier for you, here’s a list of what you can add to give your cornbread some extra flavor;

• Beans
• Apples
• Potatoes
• Berries
• Sunflower seeds.

So you see, this is very much dependent on your preference, so feel free to add whatever it is you love to taste or see in your cornbread.

But you cannot prepare cornbread without ingredients, can you? Your guess was right;

These are a few ingredients needed for your cornbread recipe

• Cornmeal
• Baking powder
• Milk
• Granulated sugar
• Flavor
• Melted butter
• Egg

Konkoe

This is another one of amazing dishes in West Africa, mostly found Guinea and also consists of smoked catfish and vegetable stew. Who wouldn’t want a taste of this? You can also pair Konkoe with anything of your choice, it can be served with

• Rice
• Beans
• Corn

So when you are in guinea, you can try this out. You don’t even have to be in guinea to enjoy Konkoe, you can enjoy it from your house, freshly prepared and hot from your kitchen.

A few ingredients used for the preparation of Konkoe;

• Veggies
• Catfish
• Spices
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tomatoes

Nigeria

Nigeria is one of the most popular countries in West Africa and is known for its diverse cultures and of course local dishes, but this list would not be complete without the addition of Nigerian dishes to the list of amazing dishes in West Africa.

There are so many tribes in Nigeria, can you imagine how many local dishes you can find in just one tribe? Don’t panic you are going to get a little look at this amazing world of food and culture.

There are a lot of dishes that can be found across regions, in the country, for example;

In the Northern part of Nigeria, there are a few dishes like;

Dan Wake

Can also be referred to as beans dumplings, this is a staple food in the northern states in Nigeria. The main ingredient for Dan Wake is beans. This dish is usually paired with the sauce, because it tends to be tasteless, just like fufu. Pair up Dan Wake with any sauce of your choice and experience a world of flavors.

There are a few other soups or sauce that Dan Wake is usually served with, like;

• Yaji (ground cayenne pepper)
• Suya pepper
• Vegetables
• Egg

Whatever you would love to try Dan Wake with, you are free to try it out.

Of course, you would need a few ingredients to prepare Dan Wake, so here is a list of items you would need to get started on your recipe;

• Kuka powder
• Beef stock
• Beans flour
• Cassava flour

Groundnut Milk

Now, this is a very different and healthy staple that can be found mostly in the northern regions of Nigeria, but due to its great health benefits, groundnut milk can be found in other places across Nigeria.

These are a few ingredients you would need for your groundnut milk recipe;

• Groundnuts
• Water
• Vanilla extract (optional)
• Dates (optional)

You don’t have to sit around and be boring, feel free to get creative and make some magic in your kitchen, so whatever suits you, and is your taste, feel free to use in the preparation of your groundnut milk.

Groundnut milk is best served cold; you can have a glass of groundnut milk after a good meal. The incorporation of groundnut milk in your everyday feeding lifestyle leads to some great and fantastic changes in not just your health, but also your mood.

To give you a little insight on the wonders groundnut milk will do for you, here are a few;

• Groundnut milk has a good amount of vitamins E and B6
• Unsaturated fats
• Groundnut milk is said to contain a good amount of magnesium.

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Suya

You have not tried northern food in Nigeria if you have not had a taste of suya. This is one of the most popular staples and can be found not only in the north but it can also be found almost everywhere in Nigeria. The vendors usually come out at night to sell. So if you happen to be in Nigeria, feel free to have a try at suya, and you will keep going back for more.

Suya mainly consists of skewered beef, chicken, turkey, or even ram. The special kind of pepper that is used to serve Suya adds a little spice, heat, and flavor to the meat.

Who said you can only eat Suya, just like that, that’s plain and boring, mix up your life with a little more spice.

Here are a few foods you can enjoy Suya with;

• Jollof rice
• Beans
• Salad
• Noodles

You can also explore and have your homemade Suya, wouldn’t that be amazing, what is a recipe without the ingredients?

A few ingredients you would need for your amazing Suya recipe; (these ingredients are mostly dependent on your preference and what you would love to use as the Suya meat)

• Beef
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Ram
• Spices
• Onions
• Cabbage

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Tuwo Shinkafa

Tuwo shinkafa is a very popular and healthy staple mostly found in the northern parts of Nigeria.

This dish is made from soft and sticky boiled rice, millet, or maize. Tuwo Shinkafa can be served with any soup of your choice, so feel free to enjoy Tuwo Shinkafa with your favorite soup.

A few soups you can enjoy Tuwo Shinkafa with;

• Miyan Tuahe
• Miyan Kuka
• Okra
• Egusi
• Kentomire

To give yourself a treat with Tuwo Shinkafa, you would need just two major ingredients, they are:

• Rice
• Water

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The Gambia

There are several restaurants in The Gambia, don’t you want to know the types of dishes to expect from these restaurants? Dishes in The Gambia are known to be a delicious and great help for your health, so get ready to add a few of these dishes to your menu.

A few dishes you can find in the Gambia

On the topic of dishes, you can find in West Africa, the Gambia is one country that cannot afford to be absent from the list.

You must learn and try to practice these recipes at home, but if you just happen to spend a few days in the Gambia, be sure to try these dishes.

These traditional dishes would help you expand your knowledge on the types of foods eaten in other parts of the world, even if you cannot travel to these countries, trying out these new recipes would give you a taste of what other foods outside your country tastes like.

 Benachin

This is a one-pot delicacy that is very common across The Gambia. The pot usually consists of rice, vegetables, and meat, all you need to do is add a little spice to your dish to give it that traditional and great taste. You might as well say it is Gambian Jollof rice.

Who wouldn’t want a taste of Benachin? Prepare this dish, a few ingredients would be required, getting the ingredients ready is the first step to your Benachin recipe.

These are a few ingredients that you will need to get you started:

• Chicken
• Vegetable oil
• Beef
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Spices
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Vinegar
• Onions
• Water
• Eggplant
• Cabbage
• Bay leaves
• Tomato puree
• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Rice

Nyambeh Nyebbeh

This dish is very rich in nutrients, this is as a result of the beans and cassava as the main dish and other ingredients. Nyambeh Nyebbeh is a local Gambian dish that consists of cassava and beans, it is also a one-pot dish, and in the addition of the ingredients, a few other ingredients are added to the pot, and cooked all at once.

Ingredients you would need for the preparation of Nyambeh Nyebbeh;

• Beans
• Onions
• Pepper
• Tomato
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Vegetable oil

Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)

Domoda is a local dish popularly known in The Gambia, this stew is considered to be very delicious as well as being very nutritious.

This is one of the amazing dishes in West Africa, it is very fast and easy to prepare, but you would need a few ingredients to get started on your recipe like;

• Tomato paste
• Ground peanut paste (You can also use unsweetened peanut butter)
• Chicken
• Pepper
• Tomato stock

Domoda can be enjoyed with anything, think of anything you would love to enjoy this amazing peanut stew with, then make it a reality.

Here’s a little list of the things you can enjoy Domoda with;

• White rice
• Boiled plantain
• Fried yam
• Potatoes
• Boiled yam
• Fried plantain

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Yassa

Yass is also one of the amazing dishes in west Africa, if you are a lover of chicken, then you are in the right place. Yassa is a dish most commonly found in Senegal and Gambia. With chicken as the main ingredient, you are sure to have the best time with Yassa.

Mostly found at restaurants, but who is to say you cannot try these at home and have the best experience.

This dish is most commonly enjoyed with white rice, but feel free to try and shake things up a bit by pairing Yassa up with anything of your choice.

To give Yassa a very delicious and rich flavor, there are a few ingredients added, incorporating these in your recipe is completely optional, but if you are down to explore flavor, feel free to add these ingredients to your recipe.

The ingredients

• Pepper
• By leaf
• Vegetable oil
• Black pepper
• Vinegar
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Dijon’s style mustard
• Chicken

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Other Amazing Dishes in West Africa

This is not the end of the list, there are still hundreds of amazing dishes in West Africa waiting for you to try, it is almost impossible to try out all the dishes, but you are already up to a good start, getting familiar with amazing dishes in West Africa.

The list goes on and on, but here are also a few other dishes you just have to try;

• Egusi
• Fufu
• Fried rice
• Waakye rice
• Maafe
• Palaver sauce
• Akara
• Ogi
• Zobo
• Couscous
• Cachupa
• Ogbono soup
• Vegetable soup
• Kooba
• Cassava leaf soup
• Angwa moo
• Abacha

You would not want to be late on this train to a brighter and healthier world of amazing dishes in West Africa, ensure you try to add at least two of these dishes to your daily feeding menu, it is fun, trying new things out every once in a while.