Africa in my kitchen

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Reposted from @234Pantry on Instagram

Gabonese proverb: Ne jetez pas vos rames tant que la pirogue n’est pas à la rive (Do not throw your oars as the boat has not reached the bank).

Our first 2021 stop after taking our much-needed break is in Gabon and we are eating Odika. Located on the west coast of central Africa, Gabon shares its borders with Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and the Gulf of Guinea.

Based on our research, the first recorded settlers in present-day Gabon were Bantu migrants in the 14^th century. In the 15^th century, Portuguese traders and explorers arrived in the area, and it later became a major coast for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. In the early 19^th century, France set up a protectorate over the coast and later took control over the entire State. Gabon remained under French control until 1960 when it became independent. Unsurprisingly, the official language is French; however, indigenous languages, Fang, Mbere, and Sira are spoken relatively widely as well. With a population of about 2.1 million people, Gabon is one of the lowest populated countries on the continent. The capital city is Libreville.

Gabonese cuisine has some French influences, but most of the staples are indigenous to the country. According to out research, the national dish is considered to be Nyembwe, a palm butter sauce. Another name for Nyembwe is Moambe, which we featured in the D.R.C.

In Gabon, you can also find:

Brochettes – grilled meat skewers

Seafood – fish stews, braised fish, and stuffed crabs are common

Atanga – also called African pear, ube in Nigeria, safou in Cameroon. The fruit has a deep purple or violet skin and green flesh. In Gabon it is often boiled and spread on bread

Dongo-dongo – an okro-based soup, often served with rice, fufu or chikwangue

Chakery – a sweet dessert made of millet couscous and sweetened milk or yogurt. It is often topped with dried fruit like raisins or coconut and spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.

Beignets – deep fried pastry

Bush meat – typically wildlife

Fufu

Feuilles de manioc – cassave leaf soup

Alloco – fried plantain

Our feature dish, Odika, is made with seeds from a plant called Irvingia gabonensis. The seed is high in fatty acids including myristic, lauric, and oleic acid. It is ground into powder before use, but in Gabon it can also be sold in solid block moulds. Ground odika is a brown powder also known as Ogbono in Nigeria.

Ingredients for Odika. Ground Odika is a light brown powder

This is the first dish so far that I was concerned would really stretch my boundaries because of one fact.

I do not like Ogbono.

Some people say it is something you either love or hate, and to be fair, most Africans that I know who have tried it like it. In Nigeria, it is typically made into a soup called Ogbono soup which has a slimy texture similar to what you find in okro soup or gumbo. As I dislike the distinctly strong smell and the somewhat acquired taste, I am an unapologetic member of the “haters” club of ogbono soup, so I was apprehensive. However, Odika is made a little differently from the soup version. Instead of being cooked in broth and palm oil, the odika is fried in vegetable oil. I figured because of this, there was a chance I wouldn’t dislike it.

It wasn’t my favourite, but I know that’s because I’m not a fan of odika itself. Yemi (and everyone else who tried it) liked it, and you might too 😊.

Yemi had it with eba (a mix of garri and hot water). I had it with boiled cassava.

We got the recipe from Popolovescooking. However, there are many variations of Odika to be found online and some of the ingredients seem based on personal preference.

Ingredients