Central Africa · Soup

Susu ti Kassa (Smoked Fish in Sour Cassava Leaf Broth)

Name: Susu ti Kassa (Smoked Fish in Sour Cassava Leaf Broth)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Central African Republic
Ingredients: 400 g tender young cassava leaves (kassa), de-stemmed and finely pounded in a mortar; 300 g smoked river catfish or smoked tilapia, rinsed in warm water and broken into large chunks; 100 g white onion, finely sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 pieces African bird's eye chillies, bruised; 45 ml pure red palm oil; 60 ml raw peanut butter or ground sesame paste (simsim); 1 l water; 6 g fine sea salt; fresh lemon juice (optional, for enhancing acidity), to taste

A revitalizing rainy-season soup combining intensely pounded sour cassava greens and aromatic hardwood-smoked fish.

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cassava-greenssmoked-fishzande-cuisinerainy-season

The story

Across the riverine and forest fringes of the Central African Republic, particularly among Gbaya and Zande communities, Susu ti Kassa is the definitive comfort soup served during the relentless downpours of the equatorial rainy season. The preparation relies on carefully selected tender young cassava greens and dried river catfish preserved over hardwood smoke. A crucial culinary rule among CAR cooks is that cassava leaves must be boiled thoroughly in an uncovered pot to release volatile cyanogenic glucosides and eliminate all harsh raw bitterness before the fish is added.

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