Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

How to Eat Fufu

How to Eat Fufu
Making Fufu in Ghana

African Food
For many Africans, stew and fufu is a classic meal similar to soup and crackers in the US.

How to Eat Fufu

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

FuFu is a staple food of Africa

Conventional West African fufu is made by boiling starchy foods as cassava, yam, plantain or rice then pounding them into a gummy yummy mass. Fufu is a staple food to Western and Central Africa and is what mashed potatoes are to traditional American cooking.
Conventional West African fufu is made by boiling starchy foods as cassava, yam, plantain, or rice, then pounding them into a gummy mass. 

Fufu is a staple food in Western and Central Africa and is what mashed potatoes are to traditional American cooking.

For many Africans, stew and fufu is a classic meal similar to soup and crackers in the US. Cocoyam fufu flour is specialty flour specifically formulated to produce instant fufu.

Fufu can be prepared using different basic food materials. Fufu is a staple food to Western and Central Africa and is what mashed potatoes are to traditional American cooking. It can be made using cassava, African yams, potatoes, cornmeal, plantains, Rice, and Millet. It reminds me of an unfilled dumpling, almost tasteless but tasty and accompanies any stew.

To eat fufu, tear off a walnut-sized portion of the fufu scoop up stew using your hands and bits of doughy fufu. In West Africa, diners often eat fufu and the stew's sauce first, saving the meat for the end of the meal since it's the most expensive part.

It is traditional to eat using only your right hand, no utensils. If you were to eat with your left hand, it would be both insulting and rude to those around you because usually, the left hand is reserved for "bodily functions" and the hand is never used for eating.

By
African food recipe
Plantain Cassava Fufu Recipe

Fufu is a staple food in many West, East, and South African countries, often made with root vegetables such as cassava and plantains.

Plantain Cassava Fufu Recipe

Serves 4
African food

Ingredients
3 green or yellow plantains
1 medium cassava root
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup water


Directions
In a large pot place the peeled and evenly cut plantains and cassava and cover with water. Boil until soft about 20 minutes. Place the salt, flour, plantains and cassava in a mixer and whip until the consistency of soft dough is achieved. Foufou should be much stiffer than mashed potatoes in texture. 

More Articles to Read from Chic African Culture

Show more

This Week’s Best Posts and Pages

Cuban Military Presence in Angola

Image
The Cuban military had a long-lasting presence in Angola, with thousands of troops stationed there during a political conflict. The Cuban intervention in Angola had significant international implications and was seen as part of the broader Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Angola, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa, was in the midst of a struggle for independence from Portuguese colonial rule. This war for independence lasted from the early 1960s until 1974, when the Portuguese Carnation Revolution led to the decolonization of Portuguese Africa. When Portugal withdrew from Angola in 1975, it left a significant hole in the political landscape in the country. This withdrawal marked the end of decades of colonial rule and set the stage for the country's transition to independence. However, it also created a political void, as there was no clear, unified government to take control. In the absence of Portuguese colonial rule, many Angolan polit
Read the Article

Sand Traveling from the Shores of Ghana to New England

Image
The journey of a grain of sand from the shores of Ghana to New England, USA, is an important reminder of the interconnectedness of all existence.  It serves as a reminder that even the smallest and seemingly insignificant elements of our world are subject to the grand tapestry of natural processes and the relentless passage of time.  It also invites us to reflect on the intricate web of relationships that underlie our existence and the profound implications of our actions on the global scale. The journey of a grain of sand from the shores of Ghana to New England, USA, shows how interconnected our world is despite vast distances. Sand grains on the shores of Ghana, like those on coastlines worldwide, are constantly subject to natural processes such as erosion. Waves, tides, and weathering gradually break down rocks and minerals, producing sand. The Atlantic Ocean separates Ghana from the eastern United States. Ocean currents, including the North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream, are c
Read the Article

Sofala: A Key Stop on Covilhã's African Odyssey

Image
Sofala, historically known as a significant trading town, holds a special place in the history of Eastern Africa. Located on the eastern coast of Africa, in what is modern-day Mozambique, Sofala was a bustling and strategic port during the late medieval period and the Age of Exploration. Navigating the waters around Sofala was no small feat. The Indian Ocean currents and shifting sandbars made the approach to the Sofala coast treacherous. Pêro de Covilhã's successful navigation of these waters demonstrated his seafaring prowess and furthered Portugal's ambitions to dominate maritime trade routes. To Portuguese explorers, Sofala was not merely a geographical destination but a vibrant crossroads of cultures and trade during the late 15th century. The Age of Exploration in the late 15th century was a transformative era in African human history. It was a time when intrepid European explorers set out on perilous journeys to chart unknown territories, establish trade routes, and unco
Read the Article

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Read the Article