The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Beninese Foods. If you manage to be in an Beninese restaurant or you are visiting Benin, I recommend the following:
1. Arcaje
Basically, it is a dumpling made from a paste of kidney beans, prawns, onion, salt and pepper to taste, which after being blended, is fried in vegetable oil and stuffed with cooked prawns, vatapa, onion and okra.
2. Fufu
It is made with the combination of green banana and cassava. It is a healthy and nutritious dish, especially carbohydrates. It helps to regulate intestinal transit and is suitable for slimming. However, it does not provide all the nutrients the body needs, which is why it is served as an accompaniment and not as a main dish.
3. Amiwo
This speciality is a paste made from corn flour, tomatoes and chicken stock. The amiwó is flavored with tomatoes, onion, garlic and broth from the chicken or fish served alongside the dough. To top it off, the amiwó is accompanied by a tomato and pepper sauce that adds more texture and flavor to the dish.
4. Aloko
A simple and quick recipe for ripe plantains, also called vegetable plantains because they are only eaten cooked. To best appreciate your Alokos, you should accompany them with spicy or hot tomato sauce. Plantain plantains can be bought in exotic grocery shops, count three plantains for four people.
5. Beignets
It is a French word that means fritter or fried dough and we can find many versions that include both sweet preparations with fruit and savory ones with vegetables coated in batter. Its flavor could be said to be a combination of doughnuts, churros and fritters. Best of all, they cost nothing to make. They have few ingredients and require little preparation, except for the fact that you have to let the dough ferment.
6. Akassa
It is a basic paste made from boiled, ground and hardened corn. It has a slightly fermented taste and is served with fish or meat sauce. It can also be used to make porridge.
7. Igname Pilee
It is a popular meal in West Africa. To eat this delicious dish, the good ladies exert their physical efforts to pound the cooked yams.
8. Sodabi
It has been in existence since about 1918-1919. It is distilled with palm oil, something that causes controversy in the country. And not only this, but a wave of opinions about sodabi, a liquor that for many only brings discomfort.
9. Garri
Gari is a cassava flour that is the main ingredient in many African recipes. It can be mixed with cold water or cooked to make a thick paste that can be used as a garnish and to which vegetables and meats can be added. It can also be baked to make bread.
10. Wagashi
It is a type of cheese, made from cow’s milk. It is sold in abundance in Parakou, a town in central Benin. It has a relatively soft texture and mild flavor and is often used in cooking. As with many proteins and animal products used in Beninese foods, wagasi tends to be cooked and served in a sauce that is then eaten with starch, such as pounded yam or pate, the staple millet or maize food of the area.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional African Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.