West Africa · Breakfast
Gari Foto (Moistened Cassava Semolina Scrambled with Eggs and Tomatoes)
Fluffy cassava semolina scrambled in rich red palm oil with sweet tomatoes, eggs, and smoked shrimp.
The story
Gari Foto is deeply associated with the Aguda, the Afro-Brazilian returnee community concentrated in Ouidah and Porto-Novo. Developed in nineteenth-century domestic kitchens as a resource-saving breakfast, it repurposed dry gari provisions into a moist, complete morning meal. Unlike Ghanaian versions that rely purely on vegetable oil, traditional Beninese Aguda preparation hinges on unrefined red palm oil and dried shrimp powder to provide an unmistakable smoky base note.
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