Products and eating habits
As in the rest of West Africa, Togolese cuisine makes extensive use of starches such as cassava, yam, sweet potato, corn, sorghum and millet. Fonio is also used to prepare semolina, which is eaten like couscous. Corn and manioc are more often served in the south, while sorghum, millet, yam and fonio are more common in the drier north. Vegetables are varied: pumpkin, squash, tomato, eggplant, cabbage, green beans, okra and more. Cowpeas, also known as black eye beans or corn beans, are very popular. Not to mention a host of leafy vegetables such as somboé, fontêtê (amaranth), vegetable coretes (adémè) and baobab leaves. Of the African eggplant (gboma), both the leaves and the round, greenish, slightly bitter fruit are eaten.
Much maligned in the West, unrefined red palm oil is widely used in Gulf of Guinea cuisine, renowned for its high beta-carotene and vitamin E content, a powerful antioxidant. Togolese cuisine is rich in spices and aromatics: ginger, garlic, black pepper, green anise, cloves, turmeric, onion, bay leaf, parsley, etc. And of course, pesto, the most famous of Togolese dishes. Not forgetting, of course, chili, which can be very hot and used generously depending on the dish.
Meat is mainly beef and chicken, with sheep, goat and pork to a lesser extent. It is possible to find restaurants serving bush meat. One example is agouti, a large rodent found near the lakes and rivers of the coastal plain, sold fried or smoked in the markets. However, while tasting bushmeat can be an experience in itself, it is advisable to consume it in moderation, for both health and ecological reasons. Indeed, the supply chains for such products are sometimes rather obscure, and some of the meat sold in markets and specialized restaurants comes from species threatened with extinction.
The region's fish-filled coasts offer a wide variety of fish, from the highly prized sea bream to tuna, skipper and mackerel, not to mention seafood and shellfish such as prawns, crabs and lobsters. As you head north, fish and shellfish disappear, with the exception of freshwater fish such as tilapia and carp, caught in lakes and rivers. Fish and seafood, often dried and smoked, are commonly used as condiments (sardines, crabs, shrimps, etc.) to enrich the flavors of certain sauces.
The restaurant scene is varied, but the most typical is the maquis. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with the sound system playing the latest Ivorian and Congolese hits, and conversations livening up after a few beers. In the street, cooks prepare local dishes in their large pots. Before eating, people bring a basin of water and soap to wash their hands. Cutlery is rarely available, and eating is usually done with the fingers. We sit on benches next to each other, as meals are shared.
Small restaurants offer African and European cuisine, in addition to these low-cost options. Outside the big cities, it's a good idea to always ask what's for dinner rather than consulting the menu. In fact, it's not uncommon for only part of the menu to be available. A number of gourmet restaurants in Lomé offer excellent international cuisine. Gourmets will not be outdone. Lovers of seafood will also be delighted. For a taste of authenticity, take to the markets and roadside stalls brimming with tropical fruit and take-away food.
The classics of Togolese cuisine
Pasta" is the central element of Togolese cuisine. It is a cereal- or starch-based preparation that is cooked until it has a sticky texture similar to polenta. The dough is then rolled into a ball and served with all kinds of sauces and condiments, halfway between a side dish and bread. It should be noted that some recipes have different names depending on the country's ethnic groups, and that the ingredients are sometimes slightly different from one region to another.
The most common recipes include akumé or éwokumé, made from corn flour cooked in water. Djenkumé is also made with corn flour, but cooked in a tomato sauce, always garnished with chicken or guinea fowl. Kom or dokounou is a paste made from fermented corn flour and sometimes yam. Akpan is made entirely of fermented corn flour, with a sour aftertaste, and is served as a side dish or dessert. Ablo is a type of steamed corn or rice flour cake. Last but not least, fou-fou is a yam or manioc paste.
In West Africa, the term "sauce" generally refers to stews made with meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. Examples include ebesse fionfion, a sauce made with red chillies, doevi (smoked fish), ginger, garlic, onion and tomato. Fetri dessi, based on okra, is garnished with beef, shrimps and crabs. The gboma dessi is very similar, but the okra is replaced by African eggplant leaves, while the adémè uses vegetable corte.
Palm nut sauce or dékou dessi is made from boiled palm nuts, which are then ground in a mortar and simmered with fresh tomatoes, okra, African eggplant and smoked fish or meat. Lamoumou sauce is a spicy fish and tomato stew. Azi dessi is a rich peanut paste-based sauce. Yebessessi, on the other hand, is a cold garnish made with fresh tomatoes, chili pepper and onion. Kadoro sauce is a "glutinous" sauce made with baobab leaves, which are rich in protein. Gbolan dessi is a tomato-based sauce with goat meat.
Other recipes include veyi, a bean-based dish with gari (cassava flour) and red palm oil. Ayimolou is a recipe of rice and simmered beans, often accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce. Djongoli are small pies made from mashed beans with palm oil and corn flour, usually prepared for special occasions. Semolina made from manioc (attieke) or fonio can also be used to make couscous-like dishes. Koliko are yam fries and amadan are plantain fries. The spicy version is called kélé wélé. Not forgetting, of course, tchitchinga, finely spiced beef kebabs.
Desserts and drinks
On the dessert side, you'll find mainly doughnuts and small cakes, although there are a number of patisseries in the capital offering more classic Western-style cakes. These include botokoin, simple round sugar doughnuts, while kanklo is a banana doughnut. Atchomo are small, sweet, crunchy cakes made from wheat flour, sugar, butter and eggs, usually flavored with nutmeg or aniseed. They are sometimes served as an aperitif. Konkada is a nougat made from caramelized peanuts. Finally, galidossi is a popular snack for children, made from cassava flour swollen in a bowl of water, to which sugar, milk and peanuts are added.
Soft drinks are sometimes referred to as "sweets". In addition to the major international soda brands, local juices include the refreshing bissap, made from hibiscus flowers, and the vitamin-rich pain de singe juice - nicknamed after the fruit of the baobab tree. Brasserie BB Lomé also offers other beverages such as Malta, a caramelized, alcohol-free malt beverage in Guinness or Tonic form. Not forgetting Youki, a local soda flavored with mango, pineapple or lemon.
Beer lovers will not be disappointed. Local brews include Awooyo (dark beer) and Pils (lager), produced by Brasserie BB Lomé since 1964. Other international brands include Guinness and Castel Beer from Cameroon. Tchoukoutou and tchakpalo are two types of beer made from millet or sorghum, and more rarely from corn. They are made by germinating the aforementioned cereals, leaving them to dry, then grinding and cooking them in water before fermentation. With an alcohol content of 4 to 6 degrees, these beers are often consumed during ceremonies honoring the dead and spirits. They are traditionally drunk from gourds.
Sodabi is the best-known craft alcohol. This palm wine-based brandy is made by fermenting and distilling the sap of several local palm species, such as rafia and oil palm. This alcohol can be extremely strong, and its traceability can sometimes leave something to be desired, depending on production. However, sodabi is drunk at every festival, often accompanying births, weddings, first communions and funerals, and is considered a prestigious gift or even part of the dowry. Although an overwhelming proportion of production remains artisanal, some companies are trying to produce it industrially.
