West Africa · Side
Cuscuz de Milho (Steamed Millet Couscous)
Tender, fluffy steamed pearl millet couscous subtly scented with baobab fruit powder and seasoned with pure sea salt.
The story
In the Gabú and Bafatá regions of eastern Guinea-Bissau, Fula and Mandinka households prepare cuscuz de milho as the primary starch accompanying rich peanut and leaf sauces. Unlike wheat-based North African varieties, this sub-Saharan staple relies on finely milled pearl millet rolled meticulously by hand with water. Traditionally, the dried mucilaginous powder of the baobab tree (lalo) or baobab fruit pulp is worked into the grains to bind the starch molecules, preventing the fragile millet pearls from collapsing into dense paste during long double-steaming cycles.
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