Togolese Cuisine - Ethnic Foods R Us

Togolese cuisine is characteristic of many other Western African cuisine, with the additional influences of German and French cuisines. This special and unique combination is what makes the foods in Togo among the very best ethnic foods of Africa.

Staple foods found in the Republic of Togo include plantain, beans, yam, millet and rice. But maize (corn) is the most commonly used of all staples in Togolese cuisine. Fish and seafoods comprise a major source of protein. Additional sources of protein come from “bush meat” – small to medium-sized wild animals – amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles – which are hunted for consumption.

Ablo (Photo Attributed to Author: Rayman3649)

The people of Togo most often take their meals at home. However, there are plenty of restaurants in urban regions, which are tourist attractions. Most Togolese people, when out and about and hungry, will grab a quick meal at one of the many roadside “food stalls” in the marketplaces.

These roadside food stands will sell prepared favorite Togolese delicious dishes like: groundnut stew, omelets, grilled prawns, brochettes, and corn-on-the-cob.

Togolese cuisine is rich with a variety of sauces and different pâtés. These are prepared from tomato, eggplant, spinach and fish. Combining these pâtés and sauces with an assortment of vegetables and meats are what makes the dishes they prepare so flavorful. And the use of hot chili peppers make many of the dishes very spicy.

Also like most Western African countries, Togolese people like to take Fufu with their meals. Fufu is, to most Westerners, one of the more unusual ethnic foods of Africa. It is made from pounded plantains and is an “edible utensil” of sorts. You break off small pieces of the malleable ball of fufu on the table, mold it into a little cup shape, then use it to scoop up a mouthful of the dish you are eating.

Another staple similar to fufu, popular in Togo, is Ablo – which is a cornmeal based “malleable bread” as well.

The people of Togo love German beer, but it is quite expensive there. So for those who can’t afford beer, other favorite alcoholic drinks are palm wine and bamboo wine, which is usually homemade.

For your convenience, the dishes listed below are hyperlinked to a print-friendly page with the recipe of your choice on it. Have lots of fun, get ready to enjoy some (to many people of the world) unusual ethnic foods of Africa, and go now into the delicious world of …

Togolese Cuisine!

Ablo (Maize meal-based malleable bread)

Djenkoume (Togolese tomato-cornmeal cakes)

Gbomo Dessi (Spicy beef and spinach stew)

Gbotemi Spice (Special West African spice blend, essential for Togolese cuisine as well as others of Western Africa)

Grilled Togo Chicken (Marinated and grilled chicken, ginger and garlic, peppers and red palm oil make it great!)