
West Africa · Street food
Fidjós (Fried Sweet Banana and Cassava Fritters)
Crispy dark-golden fritters boasting a caramelized banana exterior and a dense, chewy cassava-wheat core infused with warm cinnamon.
The story
Throughout the bustling municipal markets of Santiago, the sweet fragrance of fidjós signals late-afternoon tea time or stormy rainy-day treats. Santiago vendors combine overripe heirloom bananas with cassava flour and wheat flour to achieve their signature elastic, chewy crumb. Unlike standard banana fritters, authentic fidjós dough is rested to allow the starches to hydrate, resulting in a naturally sweet puff that browns deeply due to caramelized fructose.
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