Togo is a small West African country, located between Ghana in the west, Benin in the east, and Burkina-Faso in the north. Colonized by the French in the 1900s after they seized control over the territory from the Germans during World War One, today it has 8.6 million inhabitants.
It’s a beautiful green country, with a tropical climate and three major seasons divided into two monsoons and one dry season and with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and medical herbs growing all year long in quantity, quality, and variety.
The country has a high population of traditional farmers and traders, two of the main providers of the country’s rich organic supply of food and vegetables for national consumption and international exportation. The most-exported Togolese products that you can find in Europe are coffee, cacao, avocado, soya beans, and exotic fruits and vegetables.
These are the popular Togolese dishes that are both unique and diverse in taste, smell, and overall sensory experience. These mouth-watering dishes will leave you with an experience that’s worthwhile, and if you’re into hot and spicy food, then you’ll love some of these dishes.
Togolese people have a great love for this dish, and it is a huge part of the culinary culture, as it actually forms the base of Togolese cuisine and is the most appreciated food in Togo.
The dough is prepared in two different ways. It is either made from millet and corn, similar to the Burkinabe dish Tô, or it is made from soaked fermented flour (émakoume).
It is often served with a sauce. There is a variety of sauces that go with this dish, some of which are adémè, gboma, ébéssési, and dékoudessi.
Fufu is a staple yam, cassava, or plantain paste. It is pounded in a mortar, but with the arrival of Foufoumix, which is a Togolese invention, many people have abandoned their mortars.
Fufu is accompanied by a clear sauce or a peanut sauce, with fish, beef, or chicken. It is the most typical dish of Togo. In family or street food, fufu is everywhere, with a big variety of sauces. And if you want a traveling secret: when looking for good fufu, follow the sound of the mortar. Most of the time, you’ll find two or three women pounding together in a perfect rhythm. It’s the recipe for a nice moment and good fufu.
One of the daily dishes that Togolese people love, it’s rice and beans cooked together, with a tomato sauce added on top. This dish is generally shared on one big plate. Be careful, though, if you don’t eat pepper!
Djenkoumé is a traditional torrefied corn dough with tomato, garlic, ginger, and the local red palm oil. It’s recommended to mix it with grilled chicken. It has a thick consistency and is also called cornmeal cake.
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