Fufu

Fufu is made by mashing yam, plantain, cocoyam, rice or cassava, either singly or a combination of any of these into smooth round dough eaten with traditional African vegetable soup or stew.

It is also called foofoo foufou, fu fu. In East Africa, it is referred to as Ugali and Cous cous in French speaking African countries.

Fu fu is a staple African food. From Kigali through Lagos to Accra, you will often see women pounding foofoo in large mortar with an equally large pestle. This rich source of complex carbohydrate is also eaten by Africans outside Africa.

Fu fu is rich in complex starch and constitute a high fibre diet. Because most African foods is high fibre based like fu fu, bowel diseases are a rarity amongst Africans.

Traditionally, what ever is chosen to make fu fu (plantain or cassava for example), is brought to boil until it becomes tender, and then placed in a mortar and crushed or pounded until it becomes soft and smooth in consistency or texture.

Thanks to modern technology. You can get yam, rice, cocoyam, or cassava grounded into powder already, from which fu fu can easily be made without having to pound or pre-boil.

You can boil your own yam or plantain (ripe or black plantain) and mash it up using an electric food processor or purpose built blender if you are keen on doing it yourself.

Fu fu types are classified by the kind of starch tuber or grain from which they are made. Common types of fufu include:

Cassava foofoo



Cocoyam foofoo



Elubo

Ground Rice

Plantain Flour

Pounded Yam



Semolina

Nshima, eba, banku and kenkey, sadza are also some form of fufu eaten as main meals in different parts of Africa.

You can buy fufu from africanfoods.co.uk. Please see the type you want and learn about fufu recipe too