Cuisine of the Central African Republic

*Fufu* (pictured right) is a staple food of West and Central Africa. It is a thick paste made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding the mixture with a mortar and pestle. Peanut soup is pictured at left

Central African cuisine includes the cuisines, cooking traditions, practices, ingredients and foods of the Central African Republic (CAR). Indigenous agriculture in the country includes millet, sorghum, banana, yam,^[1] okra, yellow onion, garlic, spinach, rice and palm oil. Imported crops of American origin include maize, manioc (cassava), peanuts, chili peppers,^[1] sweet potato and tomato.^[2] Additional foods include onions, garlic, chiles and peanuts.^[3]

Meat can be scarce in the Central African Republic, although fish is used in a variety of dishes, and other sources of protein include peanuts and insects such as cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets and termites.^[3] Common meats in Central African cuisine include chicken and goat.^[2] Wild game is also hunted, especially in rural areas and during the grass-burning dry season.^[4] Staple foods include starches, such as millet, rice, sesame and sorghum. A variety of vegetables and sauces are also consumed.^[1]^[3]

Roadside stalls sell foods such as baked goods and makara (a type of fried bread), sandwiches, barbecued meat and snacks.^[4] In the forests and in markets of Bangui where forest items are sold, caterpillars and the koko leaf are eaten.^[4] Restaurants are mostly for expatriates.^[4] Wild tubers, leaves, and mushrooms are used.^[4] Palm oil is widely used in various dishes.^[4]

The capital city of Bangui has western foods and hotel restaurants.^[5] The legal drinking age is 18. Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol.^[5] The PK5 area is known for its smaller restaurants serving reasonably priced traditional dishes.^[5]

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^ ^a ^b ^c Central African Republic — Food and Restaurants | iExplore

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[foodspring-3] "Central African Republic." Foodspring.com. Accessed June 2011.

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[explore-5] Central African Republic — Food and Restaurants | iExplore

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