West Africa · Street food
Wagashi Frit (Pan-Fried Red-Dressed Fulani Cow Cheese)
Golden pan-fried cow milk cheese steaks with a crisp ruby rind dyed in red sorghum leaf tea.
The story
Crafted by Fulani (Peulh) semi-nomadic pastoralists across the Borgou and Donga departments of Northern Benin, Wagashi is one of West Africa's most distinctive unripened cheeses. Historically preserved using an infusion of wild Sodom apple leaf extract (*Calotropis procera*) to curdle fresh cow milk, it is dipped in a hot dye bath of dried sorghum stalks (*kpètè*) to impart an antifungal red coating. Sold by street vendors on bustling crossroads, Wagashi Frit transforms the dense, non-melting curd into a savory snack with a caramelized exterior and supple core.
Cook this next
Gari Foto (Moistened Cassava Semolina Scrambled with Eggs and Tomatoes)
Fluffy cassava semolina scrambled in rich red palm oil with sweet tomatoes, eggs, and smoked shrimp.
Kluiklui (Deep-Fried Crispy Groundnut Paste Rings)
Crunchy, deep-fried rings of defatted groundnut paste spiced with ginger, garlic, and dried chili.
Talé-Talé (Spiced Ripe Plantain Fritters)
Crisp mahogany fritters bursting with caramelized sweet overripe plantain, fiery ginger, and subtle warming spices.
Yovo Doko (Sweet Puffed Wheat Flour Fritters)
Light, golden, yeasted puff-beignets with an airy sponge interior and a delicate dusting of sweet spice.