10 West African dishes to eat before you die

There are quite a lot of African dishes across the continent and each is diverse in its making take Jollof rice for example.

Below are 10 West African dishes you should be eating right now.

1. Jollof Rice

Every West African country has its own version of this dream. Jollof rice is basically tomatoey rice dish with lots of pepper, crayfish, crabs, shrimps and what not.

2. Kenkey

Kenkey is a staple dish from the Ga tribe of West Africa, usually served with shitto, pepper sauce and fried fish.

3. Potato Greens plasa

This Sierra Leonean dish has a groundnut base and features potato leaves as well as bits of fish or chunks of meat. The Ghanaian version uses coco yam leaves – either could be replaced with spinach.

4. Groundnut soup

Peanut soup or groundnut soup is a soup made from peanuts, often with various other ingredients. It is a staple of West African cuisine.

5. Maafe

Maafe common to much of West Africa but it originates from the Mandinka and Bambara people of Mali.

It's made up of meat (Lamb, beef, or chicken), tomatoes, onions, garlic, cabbage, leaf or root vegetables and peanuts.

6. Palaver sauce

Palaver sauce or Palava sauce or Plasas is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

It has regional variations and can contain beef, fish, shrimp, pepitas, cassava, cocoyam leaves, and palm oil. It is served with boiled rice, potatoes, garri, fufu or yams.

7. Chicken Yassa

In the Casamance region of Senegal, where the dish originated, Chicken Yassa, is considered a delicacy, but they also use Monkey meat.

Yassa can also be made with fish substituted for the chicken. Also cubed lamb or mutton may be substituted for the chicken. The dish will need to cook a bit longer for the meat to become tender.

8. Puff Puff

Deep fried flour mixed with sugar and sometimes pepper.

9. Ewa Agoyin

Mashed beans with good pepper sauce. The sauce is made from blended dried chillies, onions, lots of palm oil, and seasoning.

10. Fufu

Fufu is a staple food, common in many West African countries. It is often made with cassava and green Plantain Flour. Other flours, such as semolina, maize flour or mashed plantains may take the place of cassava flour.