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Matobou (Sun-Dried Meat in Groundnut and Squash Seed Sauce)
A rich Sahelian stew of rehydrated sun-dried beef braised in a velvety squash seed and groundnut sauce with dried okra.
The story
Originating in the arid Far North Region of Cameroon, Matobou is an ancestral preparation of the Choa Arab and nomadic Fulani pastoralists. It is traditionally prepared during dry-season communal lunches to sustain workers and traveling herders across long Sahelian journeys. The technique relies on kilishi-style unseasoned sun-dried strips of beef that slowly release intense umami as they rehydrate within a nutty groundnut and squash-seed puree bound with mucilaginous dry okra.
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