(An Ivorian vendor sells goods. Image by the International Labour Organization via Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/ilopictures/49836749201 )

Happy Independence Day, Ivory Coast! On August 6th, 1960, this Francophone West African country gained independence from the French. Today we are exploring the cuisine of Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire.

(Attieke with fried fish. Image by Erik Cleves Kristensen via Flickr)

Attieke is one of the most popular dishes of the Ivory Coast, made with fermented, grated, and ground cassava. Attieke is usually served with fish or meat, with tomatoes and onion slices, or by itself on the roadside. Attieke is similar to couscous in texture, and people mostly eat it with their hands.

(Garba. Image by Jburgos via Wikimedia Commons)

Garba is a popular dish in the Ivory Coast that is made of Attieke, red tuna, chopped onions, and tomatoes. The dish is also known as attieke-fish.

(Alloco. Image by Afrofoodie via Wikimedia Commons)

Alloco is a plantain dish that is made by cutting ripe plantain into small pieces and frying them in oil. Alloco is usually eaten as an appetizer, dessert, or is a side dish to main dishes.

(Yam Foutou with peanut butter soup. Image by Aboukam via Wikimedia Commons)

Foutou is a dish that is known to many of Ivory Coast’s neighboring countries as fufu. Foutou is made of chopped, boiled, pounded, and shaped plantain and cassava, or yam. Foutou is served with yummy soups like groundnut soup or okra soup.

(Kedjenou Chicken. Image by Serein via Wikimedia Commons)

Kedjenou Chicken is a chicken stew dish served in the country that has delicious flavors and is often served with rice or attieke. Kedjenou is usually made with chicken, okra, eggplant, onions, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and okra.

(Placali and sauce. Image by Cyriat Gbogou via Wikimedia Commons)

Placali or Plakali is a dish made from fermented cassava dough that is cut into pieces, boiled, pounded, and shaped into a ball. Placali is eaten with sauces such as okra sauce or sauce gombo/ sauce kopé, or other flavorful sauces.

What’s your favorite Ivorian dish? Comment below!

Works Cited