West Africa · Soup
Sauce Biékosseu (Chili and Bitter Eggplant Fish Purée)
A fiery, velvety lagoon-style soup loaded with steamed freshwater fish and intensely blended African eggplants.
The story
Originating among the Attié people of the southern lagoon region around Adzopé and Anyama, Biékosseu is the premier midday soup traditionally paired with fermented cassava placali. The name biékosseu translates to crushed chili eggplant sauce in the Attié language, highlighting the ancient technique of boiling vegetables alongside fresh river fish before mashing them into an emulsified broth. A lesser-known technical secret is the use of the bitter African eggplant (kessié or gnan-gnan), whose enzymatic bitterness naturally cuts the richness of freshwater catfish and pungent fermented aromatics.
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