West Africa
Sierra Leone
Cassava leaf plasas and groundnut stew over rice, always with pepper.
Staples
- Rice (Res: upland and mangrove swamp varieties)
- Cassava root and leaves (Cassada and Plassas base)
- Fermented cassava dough (Fufu)
- Cocoyam (Tania / Yams)
- Green and ripe plantains (Dodo)
Seasonings
- Unrefined red palm oil (Mampa)
- Fermented benne seed paste (Ogiri)
- Hot Scotch bonnet peppers (Pepeh)
- Smoked bonga fish powder (Dry fish seasoning)
- Toasted sesame seeds (Benne)
Techniques
- Slow simmering greens into glossy plassas stews
- Pounding boiled cassava into sticky fufu
- Hot-smoking bonga fish over open timber fires
- Deep frying spiced bean paste into akara
At the table
Meals are traditionally prepared by women over charcoal braziers and served as a mound of parboiled rice ladled generously with thick, oil-rich leaf stew and smoked fish. While Freetown Krio households favor cassava bread and seafood gravies eaten individually, rural Mende and Temne communities in the interior lean towards bitterleaf or benne-seed plassas eaten communally from broad enamel basins using the right hand.
24 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Binch Akara (Deep-Fried Black-Eyed Pea Fritters)
Crispy, golden-crusted black-eyed pea fritters with an airy, soufflé-like interior spiced with onions and hot pepper.
Fula Bread (Crusty Wood-Fired Baguette)
Traditional crusty bakery loaf with a chewy, dense crumb, baked golden with steam and served fresh at dawn.
Kookoo (Spiced Cornmeal Breakfast Porridge)
Velvety spiced cornmeal porridge infused with sweet aromatics, evaporated milk, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Soup
Bitterleaf Soup (Braised Bitterleaf and Smoked Meat Broth)
An earthy, complex Sierra Leonean delicacy balancing pleasantly bitter greens with rich smoked beef, cow skin, and ground melon seed.
Grannat Soup (Spiced Peanut and Smoked Fish Soup)
A velvety, nutty Sierra Leonean stew infused with rich smoked bonga fish, tender beef, and fiery Scotch bonnet chillies.
Pepper Soup (Spicy Chili, Offal, and Dried Fish Broth)
A fiery, medicinal, and deeply fragrant broth loaded with tender cow tripe, goat meat, and smoked river fish.
Main
Ebeh (Seafood and Cassava Root Stew)
A luscious, velvet-thick coastal stew of tender cassava root, flaked smoked bonga fish, and fresh crab simmered in rich palm oil.
Gari Foto (Savory Stir-Fried Seasoned Cassava Grits)
Moistened cassava grits stir-fried in fragrant palm oil with sweet onions, rich tomatoes, smoked fish flakes, and soft-scrambled eggs.
Jollof Rice (Sierra Leonean Spiced Tomato Rice)
Fragrant parboiled rice simmered in a caramelized tomato-onion base infused with rich beef stock, sweet bell peppers, and warm West African spices.
Krain Krain (Savory Jute Leaf Stew with Smoked Fish)
Silky, finely chopped jute leaves simmered with aromatic smoked fish, palm oil, and dried crayfish into a rich, mucilaginous classic.
Plasas (Sierra Leonean Cassava Leaf Stew)
Pounded tender cassava leaves slowly braised with red palm oil, peanut paste, dried fish, and rich smoked meats.
Side
Agidi (Steamed Fermented Cornstarch Loaves)
Silken, delicate steamed loaves of fermented white cornstarch elegantly wrapped and set in fragrant banana leaves.
Foofoo (Pounded Fermented Cassava Mash)
Pliant, silky-smooth fermented cassava dough with a distinctive sour tang, hand-pounded and stirred to pair with savory stews.
Sierra Leone Pepper Sauce (Fried Scotch Bonnet and Dried Fish Relish)
A fiery, umami-rich Sierra Leonean red palm oil relish packed with crushed Scotch bonnets, caramelized onions, and smoked bonga fish.
Dessert
Benne Cake (Crisp Sesame Seed Brittle)
A glossy, snapping Sierra Leonean brittle made of aromatic toasted sesame seeds suspended in spiced caramelized sugar.
Granat Cake (Caramelized Peanut Brittle Squares)
Classic Sierra Leonean hard peanut brittle squares bound in dark ginger-infused brown sugar caramel.
Kanya (Pounded Toasted Peanut and Rice Flour Sweet)
A crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth Mende sweet confection made from dry-toasted rice and roasted peanuts pounded with sugar.
Rice Bread (Spiced Fermented Rice and Banana Cake)
A dense, naturally gluten-free Sierra Leonean spiced banana cake baked with finely ground rice flour and warming ginger.
Drink
Ginger Beer (Fiery Fermented Ginger and Clove Brew)
A potent, naturally carbonated West African ginger brew steeped with warming spices and fermented for a sharp, sparkling bite.
Poyo (Freshly Tapped Oil Palm Wine)
A naturally effervescent, cloudy palm nectar traditionally balanced with bitter bark, crushed alligator pepper, and sweet ginger.
Wonjo (Sweetened Hibiscus and Ginger Infusion)
A ruby-red, tart-sweet Sierra Leonean cooler infused with pungent ginger, warm cloves, and fragrant fresh mint.
Street food
Fry Fry (Fried Plantains, Fish Balls, and Pepper Sauce)
Crisp fish balls, caramelized sweet plantains, and a fiery habanero tomato-onion relish from Freetown night vendors.
Oleleh (Steamed Savory Black-Eyed Pea Pudding)
Silky steamed black-eyed bean parcels enriched with flaked smoked fish, red palm oil, and boiled eggs in banana leaves.
Plantain Chips (Spiced Fried Plantain Crisps)
Ultra-crisp, thinly sliced green plantains dusted with fiery Sierra Leonean cayenne, ginger, and sea salt.