West Africa · Street food
Galo (Spiced Sorghum and Black-Eyed Pea Dumplings)
Crisp, golden-crusted spiced dumplings made from a textured batter of red sorghum flour, crushed cowpeas, and fiery bird's eye chilies.
The story
Galo is an iconic street food found across transit crossroads, market borders, and village squares in central Burkina Faso, predominantly crafted by Mossi and Gourounsi women over charcoal braziers. It serves as an energizing, portable midday sustenance for agricultural workers, traders, and long-distance bus travelers. An intrinsic culinary nuance lies in soaking and partially cracking the cowpeas rather than milling them to pure flour, yielding a distinct contrast between a crisp outer shell and a tender, aerated center.
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