Local house in the Taberma Valley in Togo. The whole area is deignated a UNESCO Heritage Site. Photo by Erik Kristensen.

There’s an old Togolese proverb which says “Do not  roast all your corn in the winter.”  The proverb sums up Togo nicely. While the words point to importance placed on resourcefulness in this small, west African country, it also points to something much more obvious. The Togolese love their corn. As with most proverbs, they draw from the popular culture from whence they originate.

Village of Lassa, Togo. Photo by Grete Howard.

This skinny strip of a country in western Africa really does love their corn, especially cornmeal. Cornmeal cakes called Djenkoume are a popular staple, as is fufu (stiff cornmeal porridge, although sometimes it is made with yam). Either might be served with chicken [like Grilled Togo Chicken], goat, or wild game.

What does a Togolese person do when they tire of cornmeal? Eat cassava.  It can be savory, on the side of goat stew, or an after dinner treat, served as a soft, sweet porridge.

Harbour in Togoville, Togo. Photo by Alexandra Pugachevsky.

From the dry savannas and tropical coast, this land also loves their peanuts. In fact, groundnut stew [Recipe] (an old favorite from our Ghanaian Global Table), makes frequent appearances in Togo.

Just about any meal goes with a happy helping of fried plantains [Recipe], something we’ve run into all over Africa and South America.

Sounds great to me!

Maps and flag of Togo, courtesy of the CIA World Factbook.

P.S. Can we stop for a minute and admire that house in the first picture? How much would you love to spend a few nights there?

Here’s another angle to entice you…

Taberma House in Togo. Photo by Erik Kristensen.