Fufu
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Fufu, also spelled foofoo, foufou, or fu fu, is a staple food of West and Central Africa. It is a thick paste made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding with a large mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached. It may also be made by boiling flour in water, stirring vigorously with a wooden paddle until thick. In French-speaking countries in sub-Saharan Africa, fufu is often called cous-cous.
In Western Africa, foofoo is usually made from yams, sometimes combined with cocoyam, plantains, or maize. In Central Africa, fufu is often made from cassava, as is the Liberian dumboy. Fufu can also be made from semolina, rice, or even instant potato flakes. The dish is traditionally made by pounding and beating the base substance in a mortar with a wooden spoon. In more modern contexts, a food processor may also be used.
In Western and Central Africa, the more common method is to serve a mound of fufu along with a sauce made from okra, fish, tomato, etc. The diner pinches off a small ball of fufu and makes an indentation with the thumb. This reservoir is then filled with sauce, and the ball is eaten. In Ghana, the ball is often not chewed but swallowed whole in the manner one would swallow pills. In fact, among the older generation, chewing fufu is a faux-pas.
Similar staples in Sub-Saharan Africa include ugali in East Africa, sadza and mealie pap in Southern Africa, and nshima in Malawi, which are usually made from ground maize.
See also
External links
- [BBC: Ghana's cooks take to fast fufu] about microwavable instant fufu
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