A FOOD TRADITION
Congolese Cuisine
A diverse Central African cooking tradition centered on cassava, plantains, leafy greens, fish, beans, and richly seasoned stews.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
1–12 of 23
Bitekuteku
A Congolese leafy-green stew typically prepared with spinach, aromatics, and sometimes peanut paste or other accompanying ingredients.
Bukari
A firm Central African staple is made by stirring cassava flour with water into a smooth, dense porridge served hot as an accompaniment.
Chikwangue
A fermented cassava loaf or dumpling wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until firm and chewy.
Fish Liboke
Seasoned fish is wrapped in banana leaves with vegetables and aromatics before being steamed or baked until tender.
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.
Fumbwa Stew
A Congolese stew of fumbwa leaves simmered with ground peanuts, palm oil, and aromatics, often enriched with fish.
Kapenta Stew
Small dried freshwater fish are simmered in a tomato-and-onion sauce with oil and seasonings to make a savory stew served hot.
Lituma
Lituma is a traditional Congolese preparation of boiled plantains pounded into a dense mash; Congolese versions may use ripe and unripe plantains, with regional variations in accompanying starches.
Loso na Madesu
A Congolese rice-and-beans dish combining cooked rice with seasoned beans, often served as a filling staple meal.
Madesu
A Congolese bean stew centered on tender kidney beans cooked with palm oil, onion, and tomato, with some versions adding meat.
Makayabu
Makayabu is a Congolese preparation centered on salted, dried fish, commonly simmered or fried with aromatics and sometimes vegetables or oil.
Makemba
Makemba is a Congolese plantain dish in which ripe plantains are commonly fried until tender and lightly browned.
Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.