A FOOD TRADITION

Beninese Cuisine

A West African cooking tradition centered on maize, cassava, yam, beans, peanuts, leafy sauces, seafood, and grilled meats.

Dishes linked to this cuisine

1–12 of 30

Ablo

Ablo is a lightly fermented, steamed West African corn-based bread commonly made with wheat flour and served as a soft accompaniment to savory dishes.

Akara

Akara is a West African fritter made from whipped black-eyed-pea or cowpea batter, commonly seasoned with onion, pepper and salt, and deep-fried in oil.

Akassa

Akassa is a Beninese fermented maize dough served as a soft, mildly sour staple accompaniment.

Akpan

Akpan is a Beninese fermented maize pudding with a soft, mildly tangy texture, commonly served with milk and sugar.

Aloko

Aloko consists of ripe plantain slices fried in vegetable oil until golden and tender, commonly served as a side dish or street food.

Amiwo

Amiwo is a Beninese savory red cornmeal dish cooked into a firm paste with tomato, onion, chile, and oil.

Atassi

A Beninese rice-and-cowpea dish cooked with tomato, onion, and oil and served as a hearty savory meal or side.

Crincrin Sauce

A cooked Beninese leafy sauce made chiefly from jute leaves with tomato, onion, garlic, vegetable oil, and salt.

Dakouin

A Beninese cassava-based dish traditionally served with fish and a savory tomato, onion, and chili accompaniment.

Eggplant Sauce

A Beninese eggplant-based sauce, documented in northern Beninese household food practices as sauce d’aubergine (Tinchanhouni).

Fufu

A soft, smooth dough made by boiling and pounding starchy roots such as cassava, yam, cocoyam or plantain, commonly served as an accompaniment to soups and sauces; preparation varies by locality and may also use processed cassava products.

Gari

Gari is a fermented and roasted cassava-granule staple eaten dry or moistened, often as a side dish or snack and sometimes accompanied by peanuts.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.