DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Massa
Northern Beninese fermented millet-and-rice pancakes sweetened with banana and sugar.
About Massa
Massa is a fermented pancake found across Hausa communities in West Africa, with regional grain combinations. This profile fixes a northern Beninese version made primarily from millet flour with rice porridge and ripe banana.
Fermented millet gives the pancakes a gently tangy, earthy flavour, while rice softens the crumb. Banana and sugar add rounded sweetness without masking the grain.
The massa are small, round and golden-brown, with lightly crisp surfaces and soft, close-textured centres. Their batter rises slightly during fermentation but remains denser than a wheat pancake.
Allergens in this recipe
Allergen details are not yet confirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Massa
Northern Beninese Millet-and-Rice Massa with Banana.
- Millet flourFermented grain base
- Ripe bananaSweetness and softness
- RiceSoft porridge mixed into the batter
- Granulated sugarSweetness
- WaterFermentation and batter liquid
- Vegetable oilPan cooking medium
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Millet flour:
- Ripe banana:
- Rice:
- Granulated sugar:
- Water:
- Vegetable oil: . The source specifies vegetable oil without identifying the plant source or commercial blend
Origins & food traditions
196 Flavors identifies massa as a traditional Beninese fermented crepe especially popular in the north, documents rice, millet and mixed-grain forms, and supplies the complete millet-flour, rice and banana version used here. It is distinct from the catalogue's existing Hausa-style rice masa.
Countries
- Benin
- Burkina FasoCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Beninese Cuisine
- West African Cuisine
- Burkinabè CuisineCatalogue link pending review