Fufu - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fufu (pounded yam or cassava) is a food dish which first came from West Africa, but is enjoyed by many people across the world. Its taste somewhat resembles that of mashed potatoes with butter.^[1][2] It is common in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Angola, and Gabon. ^[3]

The main ingredient for fufu is boiled cassava, plantains, and yams. In Ghana, Ivory Coast and Liberia, they separately mix and mash equal portions of boiled cassava with green plantain or cocoyam. Its thickness is then adjusted to personal preference, and it is eaten with broth-like soups. In Nigeria, fufu is made jusst from fermented cassava giving it its unique thickness compared to that found in other west African countries. It is eaten with a variety of soups with vegetables and lots of beef and fish.^[4] Other flours, such as semolina, maize flour, or mashed plantains, may take the place of cassava flour. Families in rural areas with access to farmland still maintain the original recipe of using cassava. Fufu is traditionally eaten with the fingers, and a small ball of it can be dipped into an accompanying soup or sauce.^[5]