Togolese Akoume: or Emakoume (fermented corn paste). Some even call it the maize foufou. The Togolese staple food is Akoumé (Emakoume or Ewokoume).
Akoumé (Makoume or Banku) is a Togolese dish made from fermented corn (one can also add manioc purée or Agbélima) cooked in a homogeneous paste, whitish and homogeneous. Traditionally, corn is washed and milled and crushed roughly. Then all the sound is removed, and the rest is milled again until a fine flour. The corn purée is mixed with water in a pulp, which is left for a few days to acidify (fermented). This porridge is then cooked and turned into quenelles before serving. For those living abroad, the fermentation of the dough is reduced to a few hours and the acidification is obtained by adding vinegar.
Wash the corn and coarsely grind.
Dry and sift the corn fibers
Crush the mixture until it is smooth.
Leave in a warm place and ferment for 2 ~ 5 days
- 450 g fermented maize paste (made from ground corn and water)
- 120 g of cassava paste (fermented cassava and water)
- 600 ml of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium heat at first.
Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the mixture is firm; reduce the intensity of the fire and cover the pot.
Add a little boiling water if the dough is too hard.
The Akoumé is accompanied with sauces such as Yébéssési, Ferti dessi or Okra sauce, Gboma déssi, Adémè déssi, Gbolan déssi, Gnifoti déssi, Agbanme dési, Dekou déssi, Lanmoumou dessi, Gbekui dessi …