Ivorian cuisine

Location of Ivory Coast

Ivorian cuisine (pronounced "I" "vor" "i" "an") is the traditional cuisine of Côte d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast, and is based on tubers, grains, pig, chicken, seafood, fish, fresh fruits, vegetables and spices. It is very similar to that of neighboring countries in west Africa. Common staple foods include grains and tubers. Côte d'Ivoire is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world and also produces palm oil and coffee.

Common foods and dishes

Cassava and plantains are significant parts of Ivorian cuisine. A corn paste called "aitiu" is used to prepare corn balls, and peanuts are widely used in dishes. Attiéké is a popular side dish in Côte d'Ivoire made with grated cassava and is very similar in taste and consistency to couscous.[1] A common street-vended food is alloco, which is ripe plantain banana fried in palm oil, spiced with a spicy sauce made of onions and chili.[1] It can be eaten alone as a snack or often with a hard-boiled egg, as well as a side dish.

Grilled fish and grilled chicken are the most popular non-vegetarian foods. Lean, low-fat Guinea fowl, which is popular in the region, is commonly referred as poulet bicyclette. Seafood includes tuna, sardines, shrimp and bonito.

Ivorian snails

Maafe (pronounced "mafia") is a common dish consisting of meat in a peanut sauce.[2] Slow-simmered stews with various ingredients are another common food staple in Côte d'Ivoire.[2] Kedjenou is a spicy stew consisting of chicken and vegetables that are slow-cooked in a sealed pot[3][4] with little or no added liquid. This concentrates the flavors of the chicken and vegetables and tenderizes the chicken.[2] It's usually cooked in a pottery jar called a canary, over a slight fire, or cooked in an oven.[2]

Ivorian land snails are huge and very appreciated, commonly grilled or eaten in sauce.

Fruits and vegetables

Alloco (fried banana)

Widely consumed fruits include mandarins, mango, passionfruit, soursops and coconuts. Eggplant is a commonly used vegetable in many dishes.[2] Foufou is a dish consisting of mashed plantains and palm oil, whereas foutou is made from mashed plaintains and yam.[2]

Beverages

Bangui is a local palm wine.

Maquis restaurants

Ivorians have a kind of small, open-air restaurant called a maquis, which is unique to Côte d'Ivoire. Maquis normally feature braised chicken and fish served with onions and tomatoes, attiéké or kedjenou.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cote D'Ivoire Constitution and Citizenship Laws Handbook - Strategic Information and Basic Laws:. World Constitution and Citizenship Laws Handbook Library. International Business Publications USA. 2013. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-1-4387-7882-2. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ivory Coast, Côte d'Ivoire: Cuisine and Recipes." Whats4eats.com. Accessed June 2011.
  3. Harris, Jessica B. (1998). The Africa Cookbook. Simon & Schuster. p. 237. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  4. Evans, D.L. The Recipes of Africa. p. 74. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
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