Holiday Ayo - Gabon is one of the eight countries that make up Central Africa and it presents a fantastic cultural and ethnic diversity. From this diversity comes a unique Gabonese cuisine. It’s full of a rich and varied culinary heritage; about 50 ethnic groups make up the country.

The base of Gabon’s culinary wealth is partly found in what the land produces, in particular, plantain bananas, cassava, cassava leaves, African eggplant, peppers, and cabbage.

1. Nkumu Ofula

source: cuisines-tv

The great secret of this dish is surely the indigenous salt, which gives it a unique salty taste. 

We also find palm oil and nkumu leaves, each element playing a role in the harmony of the dish. To make the taste buds happier, you can add fish, meat, or shrimp, as you wish. Onions, chili, and pepper are enough to enhance this succulent dish.

2. Cassava Leaves 

source: Bongos Kitchen

This dish is one of the prides of Gabonese cuisine and dish is widely eaten among the ethnic groups of Gabon. But everyone cooks and enriches it in their own way. Some, like the Fangs, add sugar, others peanut paste or nyembwè sauce. Generally, we incorporate fish or canned sardines, but you can always use meat instead.

The creativity employed to highlight this dish is limitless; you can add cabbage, for example, to give this dish a different flavor. It is usually served for family meals on weekdays and weekends. It is served with cassava, rice, or banana fingers to appreciate it better.

3. Soukoutè

source: Pinterest

Cassava leaves wrapped in a banana leaf is one of the signature dishes of our Kota brothers. Banana peel juice or cawin (sea salt) are key ingredients, which you can replace with a Kota spice: élodjè. Together with freshwater fish, it is pure delight.

4. Kughudu

source: IDN Times

The banana flower is edible and delicious. Our Nzébi brothers flavor it with groundnuts, the main element of the dish. It is important to remove the flower’s bitterness, which we do by adding banana, cabbage, meat, fish, or even shrimp.

5. Captain’s Broth (Bouillon de Capitaine)

source: Spoonful of Easy

Our Myènes brothers and sisters created port-gentil, or lambaréné, which can be found all over the country.

Dosed with a good chili, this broth will certainly warm you up. But don’t forget to serve it with lemon, or they will be a little something missing. And the fresher the fish, the better the taste. It is an excellent choice for a family meal on a Sunday afternoon.