Fufu with palm-nut soup

Togo · Sub-Saharan Africa

Short description: This meal pairs smooth, stretchy fufu with a rich palm-nut soup often carrying fish, meat, or both.
Ingredients: Pounded cassava or yam starch served with palm-nut soup, fish or meat, aromatics, tomato, chile, and spices.
Cultural note: The texture contrast is central: small pieces of starch are pinched, dipped, and swallowed with the soup rather than eaten like sliced bread.
Common misconception: Fufu is the starch, not the soup; the bowl changes with the sauce served alongside it.

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