West Africa · Side
Wagashi Frit (Fried Fulani Cow Milk Cheese)
Crisp-crusted, tender artisanal cow milk cheese pan-fried in seasoned oil and dusted with spicy piment de table for Northern Togolese street flavor.
The story
Crafted primarily by Peul pastoralists and Kotokoli cheese artisans of Sokodé and Bafilo in Northern Togo, Wagashi is sold fresh along roadside hubs and enjoyed as an evening snack. The fresh curds are traditionally curdled using the natural latex sap of the Sodom apple plant (Calotropis procera) and preserved in a red dye bath steeped from dried red sorghum leaf sheaths. When pan-fried, the cheese develops a savory golden crust while retaining a springy, non-melting interior similar to halloumi.
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