Tantalizing Tastes
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West Africa
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I’m Olayinka and this is my best friend Baboo. We’re going to show you around our home, West Africa!
My family doesn’t have a lot of money so, like most other West Africans, we mostly eat staple foods. “Staple foods” are the basic foods that don’t cost much money and make up the diet of a particular region, country or community. These three staples are common in West Africa because they aren’t expensive and they fill you up fast.
Cassava
A common plant that’s high in Vitamins A and C. Both the roots and leaves are eaten and it’s easy to find because it grows all over in many countries. Sometimes, my mom sends me out to pick cassava for dinner.
Fufu
(Pronounced fou-fou) a thick, starchy paste made from mixing mashed root vegetables or flour with boiling water.
Rice
Most often eaten plain, there are all kinds of tasty, traditional ways to spice this up.
Make Jollof Rice
With help from an adult, try this West African take on rice, made with ingredients you can find in your local grocery store:
Adobe PDF [337.9 KB]
West African
Jollof Rice