Central Africa · Side
Fufu de Manioc (Smooth Cassava Flour Starch Mash)
Silky, elastic fermented cassava mash beaten vigorously over direct heat into a pristine accompaniment for Congolese stews.
The story
Spanning households from Brazzaville to Ouésso, Fufu de Manioc forms the daily carbohydrate anchor across ethnic groups including the Kongo, Teke, and Mbochi. Eaten at lunch and dinner alongside rich sauces like saka-saka or moambé, it demands physical stamina to eliminate every trace of raw flour. Historically, the sun-dried fermented tubers are pounded into flour whose natural lactic fermentation imparts the signature sour tang and resilient gelatinous stretch.
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