Gastronomy of Cameroon

by Ignacio Puga
(Buenos Aires)

Cameroonian gastronomy varies by region. Overall it is spicy but simply delicious. During your visit you can taste the gastronomic specialties of the country.

In the Centre, South and East: you can taste the Kpem, pounded cassava leaves, cooked without salt, which generally are eaten with cassava tubers, plantains or cocoyam, which has very nourishing effects and provides strength and durability . The Okok, leaf forest finely cut cooked pulp with palm nuts or fresh roasted peanuts. The Nnam owondo and Nnam ngon, respectively butter peanut and cucumber paste mixed with dried fish or meat. The both are cooked in banana leaves; it usually eaten with cassava tubers. The Gombo, slimy green fruit, cut into small slices mixed with fish or smoked meat is eaten with couscous of cassava or other supplements. The Ndomba of fish or Viper, seasoned with local ingredients and pimento, is stewed in banana leaves. Ebandjea, fish with pimento, lemongrass, tomatoes and onion. The shrimp à la kribienne dish of shrimp fried with onions, accompanied with fried apples or ripe plantains or breadfruit.

In the Littoral and the South-west: you can eat the Ndolè in the restaurants, forest leaves boiled and washed with hot water, then cooked in peanut paste porridge, accompanied with Miondo or sticks cassava, or steamed plantains. The braised fish with spices and fresh peppers, accompanied with Miondo or plantain.

In the West: at the menu we can have the Nkui, sticky sauce with the twelve condiments it is accompanied with corn couscous. The Condreh, plantain cooked with meat, red oil and spices appropriated. The pilé, cooked tubers, plantains, boiled bananas mashed with oil palm, beans and pimento. The military uniform, young corn cake made with cocoyam leaves, palm oil and crayfish.

In the North-west: you can taste the Hero, Okok leaves (slightly sticky) cooked with the skin of beef, dried fish, shrimp, meat and oil palm. It comes with fresh couscous cassava (water fufu).

In Adamawa, North and the Far north: in the menu you can find Foléré, green leaf of bush which is a sauce made with meat or fresh or dried and smoked fish, accompanied with couscous of millet, sorghum or maize. The Gombo, green fruit cut into small slices mixed with fish or smoked meat is eaten with couscous of cassava.

Overall, the desserts in the country are made with fruit: pineapple, bananas, papayas, coconuts, oranges, grapefruits, plums, violets and many other such as soursop (large green fruit with white pulp hummocky and fibbers has a pleasant fragrance and flavor slightly tart).

Restaurants in Cameroon are within reach of every budget. From chic restaurants of major hotels through middle restaurants in the center of the city to the popular cheap restaurants commonly called tournedos, the traveler will discover the wonders of the Cameroonian cuisine in a picturesque setting, especially welcoming.