Food & Beverage
Cameroonian food
Cameroonian food is diverse and varies by region. The Cameroonian food is based largely on plant products such as maize, millet, sorghum, cassava, peanuts, plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, Ndole (similar to spinach), and delicious and tropical fruit such as many delicious varieties of bananas, plantains, pineapple, mango, papaya. Cameroonians also like their meat, beef, goat, pork, veal, fish and shrimp.
The centre
One of the typical dishes in the Central region is called “Kwem”. Kwem is made up of cassava leaves crushed and mixed with palm nut juice. It is usually accompanied by plantain, cocoyam (tuber) or cassava (tuber).
The coast
The Coast / Littoral is the Sawa peoples region and the most common dish is the Ndolé (spinach family). The Ndole is a long dish to cook, and is made up of vegetables cooked in a groundnut paste with shrimps, meat or fish. Ndole is usually accompanied by plantain, rice, cocoyam (tuber) or cassava stick also known as Bobolo.
The West
The West region of Cameroon is the cradle of the Bamiléké peoples. One of the typical dishes among the Bamilékés is called “Nkui”. It is a sticky sauce from a bark of the same name that is often cooked to celebrate the birth of a child. This dish is seasoned with various spices condiments and is accompanied by corn couscous.
The North-west
The Northwest of Cameroon is the region of the Bamenda peoples. One of the typical dishes of the region is called “Achu”. AChu is made up of pounded cocoyam (tubers) accompanied by a yellow sauce made from palm oil, rock salt, condiments and meat.
The North, Adamaoua and the Far-North
One of the typical dishes of these regions is the millet ball which is made up of millet flour mixed with water. The millet ball is usually eaten with beef. Corn and sorghum are also consumed in the region.
The South
The South has a quite varied dishes which often content exotic fruits. One of the typical dishes of the region is DG chicken which is made up of chicken, carrots, onions, tomatoes, plantains, peppers and condiments.
The southwest
The Southwest is one of the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon. A typical dish of this region is the Eru. It is made up of Okok leaves and water leaves (spinach family), palm oil and various condiments. Eru is usually accompanied by Waterfufu (made up of cassava) and is popular in the region.
The Eastern region
One of the typical dishes of the eastern region is the ball of pistachio. It is made up of crushed squash seeds and mixed with water and beef, fish or bushmeat. It is usually accompanied by cassava stick (Bobolo).
Here are some food guidelines
- Eat only well-cooked food served hot.
- Avoid food from street vendors.
- Fruits and vegetables should be well washed and peeled before consumption.
Beverage
Mineral water and soft drinks are available almost everywhere in Cameroon and Cameroonian lemonade is delicious. Cameroon has a great selection of tasty beers, like Isenberg, Mutzig, Beaufort, 33 Export, Guinness, Castel to name just a few. Beer lovers of will not be disappointed.
Here are some beverage guidelines
- Avoid drinking tap water or well water, drink only mineral water or distilled water.
- Drink only pasteurized milk.
- Use only ice made of mineral water.
