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Maboké de Viande de Brousse (Smoked Bushmeat Steamed in Marantaceae Leaves)
Savory smoked meat en papillote with toasted pumpkin seeds and wild aromatics, slow-braised over embers in fragrant tropical leaves.
The story
Originating among the dense forest riverways of Ogooué-Ivindo province, Maboké represents Gabon's pinnacle technique of en papillote cooking using wild Marantaceae (Marantaceae/Megaphrynium) foliage. Prepared traditionally with smoked game such as wild brush-tailed porcupine or forest antelope for wedding feasts and returning hunters, modern adaptations rely on smoked goat or beef brisket. The non-stick, waterproof Marantaceae leaves trap all inner volatile terpenes while transferring a distinct herbal, tea-like tannin into the unctuous, seed-thickened sauce.
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