A typical west African menu is not complete without a fermented food or drink. These are foods that have been transformed by natural processes involving “friendly” microorganisms like bacteria or yeast. The microorganisms break down the sugars and other substances in the food, which changes the taste and texture, and sometimes even preserves the food.
Some examples of fermented foods from the region are those made from African locust beans, such as iru (Nigeria), dawadawa (Ghana), netetu (Senegal) and afitin (Benin). Other products include okpehe (Nigeria), soydawadawa (Ghana), ogiri (east Nigeria), and Burkina Faso’s bikalga and soumbala.
