Many fascinating things about Ivory Coast foods are waiting for you to explore. You will have the chance to expand your culinary knowledge with a list of popular foods and information about the origin and exciting food stories.
All will be presented in this article in a specific way. Ivory Coast foods in this article will make you want to take a trip to Ivory Coast to enjoy them right away. It is time to step into the world of amazing Ivory Coast dishes.
Seafood and Meat-Based Foods
If you seek seafood and meat dishes of Ivory Coast cuisine, this section will be valuable to you. It will give you a list of fantastic main dishes made from meat and seafood.
1. Kedjenou
(Chicken And Vegetables Stew)
Kedjenou is a suitable suggestion for your Ivory Coast lunch recipe list. Chicken and vegetables are the key components of this fascinating spicy stew. It came from Baoule (an ethnic group in Ivory Coast), so it is well-known in this country.
Its name “Kedjenou” has its origin from the word “Kedjenou”, which means “shake” in the Baoule language. Instead of chicken, Ivorians often use Guinea hen to change the flavor. The Terra-Cotta pot is the necessary equipment for cooking Kedjenou.
There are many ways to make this well-known African dish. There is no need to add liquid (or just add a bit) for cooking it as the meat will be better to cook in their own juice for rich flavor.
Locals usually wrap the meat and veggies in banana leaves and cook under hot coals. This dish is often eaten with Attieke.
Check these directions to make mouthwatering Kedjenou at home.
2. Mafe
(Peanut Butter Stew)
Do you like foods made from peanut butter? I love the tasty and gentle grease of peanut butter in recipes, and Mafe sauce or Peanut Butter Stew is one of them. You will fall in love with the tenderness and tastiness of meat and vegetables while eating them.
Ivorians often eat Mafe with rice in meals. Mandinka and Bambara people created this mouthwatering dish, and it gradually spread to other countries during the colonial era. Besides Ivory Coast, Mafe is also an iconic food in Senegal and the rest of West Africa.
There are many versions of it, with various meats such as chicken, lamb, or beef.
Also, you can come across the vegetarian version. Domodah is its proper name which means “peanut butter sauce” in the Mandinka language.
3. Poisson Braisé
(Ivorian Grilled Fish)
When coming to restaurants in Ivory Coast, you should order Poisson Braise to enjoy great flavors from the fresh fish. Known as braised fish in English, it is also a famous dish in Cameroon and other countries.
As this country lies on the southern coast of Africa, restaurants often use fresh fish to bring the better flavor. After seasoning fish with various spices, the chef will grill it to perfection to bring out the rich flavors from sauteed onions and tomatoes. This food usually appears with Attieke.
4. Poulet Piquet
(Grilled Chicken)
When you arrive in Ivory Coast, you will easily see groups of people standing around the wood fire and enjoying the incredible Poulet Piquet. Restaurants often have giant sandpits outside to prepare this excellent and yummy food.
The typical smoky flavor of grilled chicken will leave profound impressions. In particular, its rich taste will stimulate your taste buds right away. Compared to other grilled chicken dishes, the meat of Poulet Piquet will be softer and less grease. You should eat it with Alloco (fried plantain).
5. Choukouya
(Grilled Meat)
You should eat Choukouya before leaving Ivory Coast to enjoy the essence of this country’s cuisine. Its name means grilled meat or steakhouse. It has many different versions with meats like chicken, goat, beef, lamb, etc.
Its taste becomes more diverse when covered with onions and spicy sauce. Ivorians often combine it with fries or Alloco during meals. This is a superb option to make your evening memorable.
The marination technique makes the difference between Choukouya and other grilled meat dishes. Locals usually season the meat twice. The first time will be done before grilling meat, and a bit of spice in the grilling process will make the beef richer.
6. Soupe du Pêcheur
(Fisherman’s Soup)
If you seek a seafood-based dish to add to your Ivory Coast dinner recipe menu, it is impossible to ignore Fisherman’s Soup. Although its origin does not belong to Ivory Coast, people in this country love it.
Fishermen in Hungary made the earliest recorded version of the soup over an open fire along the rivers in Hungary. Nowadays, it appears across Europe, West Africa, and other continents. Initially, fishers used kettles to cook this delicious food.
Ivorian Fisherman’s Soup is a fantastic option for those who love spicy food because it is a hot paprika-based fish soup with a beautiful red hue. Ivorians often serve it with red palm oil Attieke. Besides fish, you can find vegetables like green peppers, tomatoes, and red onions in this food.
It is time to learn how to make delicious Fisherman’s Soup.
7. Poisson En Papillote
(Fish Baked In Parchment Packets)
You will regret ignoring Poisson En Papillote of Ivory Coast cuisine. You won’t forget the rich and appealing flavor of succulent fish cooked with lemon marinade and tomatoes in foil. It is fantastic to serve the fish with its own juice and rice.
Its name “Poisson En Papillote” means “fish in foil”. This excellent recipe appears in meals of most households across the Ivory Coast. In particular, the freshness of the fish will fascinate you immediately.
8. Pain Brochette
(Beef Skewers and Baguette)
Pain Brochette is an excellent Ivory Coast breakfast recipe. It is also a fantastic midnight meal or street food snack when you walk on the streets in Ivory Coast. You can buy this distinctive sandwich at many roadside stalls in this country.
When the beef skewers on the grill are ready, the sellers will cut Baguette in half and put grilled beef inside. Don’t forget to add other ingredients, such as mayonnaise, egg, flavors, and sauces, to enhance the taste of this yummy food.
9. Akpessi
(Fish And Eggplant Stew)
Akpessi is one of the most famous foods on the Ivory Coast. Locals usually prepare this tasty dish from African eggplants, plantains, smoked herrings (or other types of fish), and red oil. Another variation called Akpessi d’igname also includes yams for a more filling meal.
It is a perfect combination of vegetables and fish. This great porridge is a healthy choice for eating in the morning or lunch. If you want to change your palate with delicious non-meat food, it will not let you down.
Vegetable-Based Foods
It is a pity to significantly ignore these mouthwatering vegetarian foods as they are the staple foods of this cuisine. It is time to check their flavor right now.
10. Attieke
(Fermented Cassava)
Do you wonder what this Attieke is? Well, it is a well-known food in Gabon and many African countries. Local people make it from fermented cassava, a major crop in the region. This pulp-like side dish has a gentle flavor and the same texture as couscous.
Once a native food in Ghana, it was carried to Ivory Coast and many African countries throughout history. Ivorians often consume it with braised meat, fish, couscous, or plantain. This dish has many different variations.
Attieke is a cheap yet fulfilling meal. It is usually available on the market in a precooked form, meaning that you only need to heat it up for a few minutes before eating.
11. Foufou or Fufu
(Cassava and Plantain Dough)
If you are searching for a great recipe made from plantains, Foufou is an excellent option. Besides plantains, you will also find jams in this delicious food. Its smooth and sticky texture will surprise you unexpectedly.
Ivorians usually combine this recipe with many different dishes, especially stews, hot pepper soup, clear sauce, or okra. Do not be surprised when the restaurant does not carry chopsticks or spoons when serving it because you will use your hands to eat it.
Many theories say that it originated in Ghana. You can find this iconic delicacy in Liberia and many African countries with various versions. Instead of plantains, people can use cassava, semolina, or maize flour to make this fantastic food.
Compared to other Foufou versions from neighboring countries, the Ivorian one tends to be sweet and rather dense in texture.
12. Garba
(Fermented Cassava And Fried Tuna)
What type of street food do you have in mind when you travel to Ivory Coast? In my perspective, I will walk on the streets and enjoy the incredible taste of Garba. It is considered the king of Ivorian street foods, a harmonious combination of Attieke and deep-fried tuna.
Chefs usually add tomatoes, peppers, onions, and the oil of dried tuna to it to enhance its flavor. You will use your hands to eat this food served on banana leaves. Garba dates back to the 1990s.
Initially, it was an invention of a Nigerian named Garba when he mixed Attieke with tuna. Later, his delicious creation became famous and took after his name. College students, one of Garba’s oldest customer groups, and many people love it because of its low price and high quality.
Take a trip to Ivory Coast to try Garba right away.
Sweet Snacks, Desserts, and Beverages
Snacks and desserts play an essential role in the daily diet of Ivorians. These foods in this part are the common choice to end the meals and satisfy your palate in the midday meals.
13. Alloco
(Fried Plantain)
Alloco is an indispensable classic African sweet treat in your travel book. You will immerse in the delicate crunchiness and sweetness of the deep-fried plantain slices. Their distinctive brown will make you remember it forever.
The Ivory Coast is home to some of the most Alloco samples in the world. People love to enjoy it as a convenient and fiber-rich fast food. But this dish is also popular in many other countries stretching from Africa to Southeast Asia and even America.
14. Merveilles
(Orange-Scented Cookies)
Parties in Ivory Coast regularly end with sweet Merveilles. This version takes after a lovely cookie from France. It comprises baking powder, sugar, orange zest, and many other components, plus a few flour croquettes.
When biting them, you will immerse in the perfect crispness. The gentle sweetness of this dessert will give you a fantastic sensation. This fantastic recipe came to Ivory Coast during colonial times and has since become an integral part of local social events.
15. Gbofloto
(Sweet Fritters)
Besides the Gbofloto name, it is also widely known as Puff-puff. It is a specialty of Ivory Coast and many other African countries. This awesome dessert recipe includes flour, sugar, yeast, eggs, and butter. All of them create an appealing flavor for food.
The eye-catching golden brown appearance of this famous donut will leave a deep impression on your mind. Its crispness will bring a wonderful mouth feel right from the first bite. You can make your experience even more memorable by serving it with strawberry or raspberry dip.
16. Tchapalo
(Millet Beer)
Millet beer is a favorite drink loved by natives and tourists on Ivory Coast. This alcoholic drink is extremely popular all over Africa. It comprises malted millet with various processing methods depending on the area.
In southern Africa, it is widely known as Umqombothi. Ivorians often contain Tchabalo (Millet beer) in calabash gourds (long lemon gourds). Different millet beer versions from different localities boast different flavors, so you will never run out of new options to try.
This drink is associated with many actual events like births, weddings, funerals, dances, etc. Women often open pubs at homes to sell millet beer. People often gather to drink it to enhance the spirit of solidarity.
According to Ivory Coast tradition, when drinking millet beer, you will use the right hand to hold a calabash and pour a little to the ground to show reverence with the ancestors.
17. Banane Braisée
(Grilled Bananas)
There are countless delicacies made from plantains that you can find on Ivory Coast. Banane Braise is one such great snack. Ivorians place the plantains over hot coals and wait for a while before enjoying this excellent food.
After grilling, plantains will have an eye-catching brown shade. When biting plantain, you still feel the softness and juiciness of it, plus the natural sweetness that will keep you coming back for more. You can buy it at the vendors on the streets of Ivory Coast at a low price.
18. Degue
(Wheat/Millet Milk)
It is time to refresh your taste buds with a bottle of Degue after heavy meals. When you look at it for the first time, you will think of yogurt because of the similarities in their texture and appearance. However, this is no ordinary yogurt: it is a traditional dessert drink of Ivorian cuisine.
This recipe is a harmonious combination of miller flour, yogurt, and a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten. You will have no difficulties finding it in any restaurants in Ivory Coast. Its flavor resembles oat smoothie and Asian Sago desserts.
19. Bangui
(Palm Wine)
Bangui, or palm wine, is a standard alcoholic beverage in Ivory Coast and many other areas like South America, Asia, and the Caribbean. It is processed from the sap of palm trees, such as date palms or coconut palms.
Ivorians often use date palms and jaggery palms to make this drink. It is an essential part of the ceremonies of the Ivory Coast, such as weddings, births, or funerals. The combination of palm wine and medicinal herbs is an effective remedy to treat physical complaints.
Ivorians will pour a few drops of palm wine to the ground before drinking to express honor to their ancestors. You can follow this ritual before enjoying this exotic drink.
Take a trip to Africa to see the ways people make Palm Wine.
Sauces
There are many delicious and famous sauces on Ivory Coast. They are essential things I must mention when talking about Ivory Coast cuisine.
20. Sauce Aubergine
(Eggplant Stew)
Aubergine (eggplant) sauce is a pride of the African country. The veggie apparently spread to West Africa from North Africa and quickly became a mainstay of local cuisine. There are many wonderful dishes you can cook from it, but Ivorians are particularly fond of this recipe.
Besides eggplants, this tasty sauce also contains fish, chicken, beef, and other meats to create a fantastic, rich, and appealing overall flavor. People in Ivory Coast often eat it with Foufou for lunch or dinner.
21. Sauce Arachide
(Palm Oil and Peanut Sauce with Meat)
When referring to Ivory Coast cuisine’s prominent types of sauce, it is impossible not to talk about the exotic sauce made from palm oil, peanut, and meat (locally known as Sauce Arachide). Its tasty and hearty flavor will surely send you to a state of culinary bliss.
Palm fruits are a common plant in African countries, and this fruit plays an essential role in the cuisine of this continent. Ivorians will pound the palm nuts and extract the pulp from them. This fantastic sauce is obtained after simmering with meats, crayfish, and spices.
22. Sauce Kaklou or Sauce Kplè Ba
(Ivorian Bush Mango Sauce)
If you go to the western area of the Ivory Coast, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the flavor of Kple Ba sauce. It is a specialty of this region. The main component that creates Kple Ba is Irvingia gabonensis fruits, or African mango/ bush mango in layman’s terms
In Ivory Coast, this fruit often goes by the name Kaklou or Kplè Ba, hence the name of the dish. Ivorians often cooked the dried slices of this fruit with meat, fish, shrimp, mushrooms, etc. to create a deeply rich and flavorful dish that goes well with cassava Foutou, plantain Foutou, and rice.
23. Sauce Gouagouassou
(Aubergine and Okra Sauce)
Gouagouassou sauce is one of the typical sauces of the Ivory Coast. Its name comes from the word “Sa to gouasso”, which means “pour the sauce over the foutou” in the Baoule language. Its rich flavor will captivate you immediately.
It is a combination of aubergine and okra. The appearance of okra will bring a characteristic flavor and thick texture to this sauce. Ivorians usually mix this delicious with various meat or fish to create incredible recipes.
24. Sauce Djoumble
(Okra Sauce)
If you love the culinary recipe created from okra, Djoumble is an excellent suggestion for you. It is made from an ingredient of the same name: Djoumble refers to dried okra that are finely crushed or pounded.
Djoumble is a highly customizable recipe. Ivorians usually mix it with various sources of proteins, such as beef and fish, to prepare a perfectly flavorful dish for Foutou, yam, rice, or Placali (fermented cassava paste).
25. Sauce Gnangnan
(Eggplant Sauce)
Ivorian cuisine has various kinds of tasty sauces, one of which is Sauce Gnangnan. It is a traditional sauce of this country that you may mistake for Sauce Aubergine because they have many similarities in taste and texture.
While there are many different versions of it, Sauce Gnangnan always has small African eggplants as the primary ingredient. Its gentle bitter taste will stimulate your taste buds when served alongside rice, soup, stew, or other dishes.
According to the culture of Africans, they claim that Gnangnan sauce carries many therapeutic values, and they consider it an ideal choice when suffering from malaria.
I was addicted to the flavor of these dishes when enjoying them, and I believe you will also experience the same wonderful feeling as I did. It is time for you to please your palate and fill your stomach with these delicious and appealing foods.
Do you like the information I have introduced in this article? Do you want to know any more? If yes, please write your questions in the comment section. I will try to respond as soon as possible.
