West Africa · Street food
Koliko (Deep-Fried Yam Batons)
Thick white yam wedges par-salted in cold water and double-fried in rich oil until shatteringly crisp outside and fluffy inside.
The story
Throughout the central plateaus and northern yam-belt regions of Togo, Koliko is an indispensable late-afternoon street food sold over roaring coal fires. Vendors skillfully chop dense tubers of white puna yam into hefty geometric batons before plunging them directly into blistering cauldrons. The definitive technique relies on soaking freshly cut raw yam in cold salted water right before frying, creating steam internally that cooks the center while leaving the outer shell crisp.
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