A FOOD TRADITION

Kanuri Cuisine

Kanuri cuisine is relevant to southeastern Niger, particularly the Diffa region around the Lake Chad basin, and belongs to a cross-border cultural zone shared with northeastern Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon. Millet and sorghum are joined by rice, cowpeas, groundnuts, sesame, okra, leafy vegetables, fish and mutton or goat. Foods are commonly built around pounded or cooked grains, thick sauces, dried ingredients and stews suited to a dry environment. Tô with okra or leafy sauce, dambu-style steamed grain preparations, and fish stews from the Lake Chad region are representative examples, although names and recipes vary locally. The tradition also reflects interaction between farming, fishing and pastoral communities.

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