Fufu Wars: How many African countries make and eat this meal?

A popular food war among Africans is the jollof rice wars. Many of them boast that they make the best version of jollof rice which originated from Senegal, but a new food war is on the horizon, the fufu war.

The Akans of Ghana are the source of the Twi word "Fufu." However, the term is now used by different countries that make their variations of this meal.

Fufu is typically made of fermented cassava, but it can be made with other things depending on the country.

The only ingredient used to make fufu (also known as akpu) in Nigeria is fermented cassava. The great thing about fufu is how long it lasts.

In Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, it is made by blending boiled cassava and unripe plantain or coco yam separately and then mixing it, or combining flour made from cassava/plantains or coco yam with water and stirring it on the stove. It is eaten with different soups with all kinds of meat and fish.

About 14 African countries eat fufu. Here is what it’s called in different African countries.

1. Ghana: fufu, fufuo, sakɔro

2. Guinea: foufou

3. Ivory Coast: foutou, foufou

4. Liberia: fufu

5. Nigeria: fufu, akpụ, ụtara, loi-loi, swallow, Mr White

6. Sierra Leone: foofoo

7. Togo: foufou

8. Mozambique: sadja, sadza, xima

9. Angola: funge, fúngi

10. Benin: santana, foufou

11. Cameroon: couscous, couscous de manioc

12. Central African Republic: foufou

13. Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville: fufú, moteke, luku

14. Gabon: foufou