African Cuisine Part 17: West Africa - Burkina Faso

Categories: Articles, Crop productionPublished On: 12th March 2026

African Cuisine Part 17: West Africa – Burkina Faso

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Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest.

The country was known as Upper Volta from 1958 to 1984, when it was renamed Burkina Faso. Its citizens are known as Burkinabes; the capital and largest city is Ouagadougou. The name Upper Volta was derived from the upper reaches of the Volta River, where the country is situated.

The colours of the former national flag reflect the three tributaries of the Volta, namely the Black, White and Red Volta. Burkina Faso has two ecoregions, namely the Sahelian Acacia savanna and the West Sudanian savanna. The country has a mainly tropical climate with two distinct seasons, namely the rainy season from May/June to September, when the country receives between 600 and 900 mm of rain.

During the dry season, the harmattan, a hot, dry wind from the Sahara, frequently occurs. There are three climatic zones, namely the Sahel, the Sudan-Sahel and the Sudan-Guinea. The Sahel, a relatively dry tropical savanna, gets less than 600 mm of rain per year, and temperatures can reach up to 47 °C. This zone has radical climatic variations, from extreme flooding to severe drought.

These climatic extremes, as well as insect attacks, make it difficult for citizens who rely on agriculture to survive. The Sudan-Sahel is a transitional zone regarding rainfall and temperature while the Sudan-Guinea zone gets more than 900 mm of rain per year, and cooler average temperatures. Burkina Faso is one of the least developed countries in the world. More than 80% of the population is involved in small-scale subsistence farming and livestock raising, especially in the south and southwest. Crops include sorghum, pearl millet, maize, peanuts, rice and cotton, the latter being the main cash crop.

Burkina Faso’s Cuisine

The country’s cuisine is based on staple foods such as sorghum, millet, rice, maize and peanuts, potatoes, beans, yams and okra. Protein is provided by beef, mutton, goat, chicken, eggs and freshwater fish. Vegetables include yams, potatoes, okra, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, leeks, onions, beets, pumpkins, cucumbers, cabbage, spinach and sorrel. Burkinabé dishes often feature stews, sauces and grilled meats, usually eaten with tô (porridge) or rice, accompanied by fried yams.

The cuisine, especially in rural areas, is influenced by the crops and livestock of small-scale farmers, the cuisine of neighbouring countries, and the French influence of the colonial era.

Tô

Tô is a staple made from millet, sorghum or maize. The flour is cooked into a thick, smooth dough similar to polenta – and it is usually served with stews or sauces. It’s eaten by hand, with pieces broken off and dipped into communal dishes.

Kedjenou

Kedjenou is a traditional chicken stew cooked slowly with spices and vegetables, including onions, tomatoes, carrots, and spiced with ginger, served with rice or Tô and a side of fried plantains.

Benkadi

Benkadi is a vegetable stew that’s made with carrots, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic and cumin and is
served with rice or Tô and a side of fried plantains.

Brochettes

Brochettes are grilled meat skewers of marinated chunks of beef, lamb, or chicken, grilled over an open flame. The marinade usually includes a blend of spices, vinegar, and oil The mat is served with grilled onions and a spicy sauce.

Fufu refers to a huge dumpling that’s prepared by using a mixture of cassava and green plantain flour, combined with water and cooked over low heat. The dough is shaped into balls and eaten with stews or sauces.

Fufu

Fufu is a type of huge dumpling prepared using a mixture of cassava and green plantain flour, combined with water
and cooked over low heat. The dough is shaped into balls and eaten with stews or sauces.

Poulet Bicyclette

Poulet Bicyclette refers to free-range chickens commonly transported to markets by bicycle. The chicken is marinated in lemon, juice, mustard and local spices and grilled or roasted. It is served with rice or fried plantains.

Mafé

Mafé is a savoury peanut stew that includes meat like lamb, beef, or chicken and vegetables like onions, sweet potatoes or carrots and spices like cinnamon, cumin and paprika. It is served with hite rice, couscous, or fufu.

Mafe is a savoury peanut stew with vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and onions and some kind of meat. It is generously spiced with cinnamon, cumin and paprika.

Fried plantains

Fried plantains are a popular snack made from ripe plantains oil-fried until golden brown, creating a crispy exterior and a soft interior. The plantains are flavoured with sugar, salt, lemon juice, chili sauce and fresh herbs for garnish. They are enjoyed on their own or as a side dish.

Ragout d’igname

Ragout d’igname is a thick yam and beef stew prepared with garlic, ginger, onions, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes,
seasoned with only salt and pepper. It is served piping hot.

Ragout d’igname is a thick yam and beef stew prepared with garlic, ginger, onions, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes, and unlike most other stews, seasoned with only salt and pepper.

Dégué

Dégué or thiakry is a dessert made by combining couscous or millet grains with sweetened yogurt or milk, resulting in a creamy, slightly tangy treat. Sometimes dried fruits, such as raisins, desiccated coconut, and spices like nutmeg, are used to enhance the flavour. It is eaten as a snack or dessert. rice, couscous, or fufu.

Sauce Gombo

Sauce Gombo is made with fresh or dried okra, which lends a sticky concistency of the sauce prepared with tomatoes, onions and spices. It is eaten with Tô or rice.

Bissap

Bissap is a drink made with dried hibiscus leaves that gives it a red colour and tart flavour. It is sweetened an enhanced with ginger or mint and served chilled.

Yassa Chicken

Yassa chicken, also called poulet yassa, is made using chicken that is marinated overnight with onions, lemon juice and mustard. A combination of several herbs and spices, like cayenne pepper, parsley and garlic. The dish is usually served with rice, couscous or bulgar wheat, as well as yam mash. Sometimes the dish is prepared with lamb and called yassa lamb, or fish, called yassa poisson.

Yassa chicken, also called poulet yassa, is made using marinated chicken, seasons with herbs and spices like cayenne pepper, parsley
and garlic. It can also be made with lamb or fish and is served with rice, couscous or yam mash.

Dôlo

Dôlo is a traditional local beer brewed from fermented millet or sorghum and served in calabash gourds.

Riz Gras

Riz Gras is regarded as the country’s national dish. It consists of white rice cooked with tomato paste and vegetables
like eggplant, carrots, onions, garlic and chili peppers, and meat like beef, chicken or goat.

Riz gras, literally translated as ‘fat rice’, consists of white rice cooked with tomato paste and vegetables and meat. The dish is regarded as the country’s national dish.

Babenda

Babenda consists of greens like kale, spinach, or mustard greens with fermented locust beans known as soumbala that gives the dish a cheese-like flavour. Sometimes smoked of dried fish is added.