Central Africa · Dessert
Gaos (Fried Sesame and Groundnut Pasties)
Crisp, golden half-moon pastry pockets packed with a luscious, fragrant filling of toasted sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, and wildflower honey.
The story
Rooted in the rugged, granite mountainous landscape of the Guéra region, Gaos are traditional sweet pasties crafted by the Hadjerai people for ceremonial celebrations and post-harvest ancestral offerings. These pastries showcase the prized local agricultural bounty of northern Guéra: dark sesame seeds and aromatic Sahelian peanuts. An indispensable regional technique involves lightly dry-roasting the sesame seeds until they release their bitter oils, which creates a complex smoky undertone against pure raw honey.
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