'' (
Ebrié:, ), also spelled attiéké (
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
), is a
side dish
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
that is popular and traditional in the Ivory Coast. The dish is prepared from
fermented cassava pulp that has been grated or granulated.
acheke is also prepared, which is similar in texture to
couscous
Couscous () is a traditional North African dish a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…” of small steamed granules of rolled semolina ...
.
Attiéké is a culinary specialty of the lagoon people (Ebrié, Adjoukrou, Alladian, Abidji, Avikam, Ahizi, Attie) of southern Ivory Coast.
The word attiéké comes from the word "adjèkè" from the Ebrié language spoken in southern Côte d'Ivoire. The pronunciation of the word was distorted by the Bambara transporters into "atchèkè" and then by the French colonists into "attiéké". It is made from grated
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
that is
fermented, and is flavorful when eaten with fried fish with ground spicy pepper garnished with chopped pepper, and onions with a little seasoning for taste added mixed with regular oil.
Preparation method
The cassava is peeled, grated, and mixed with a small amount of previously fermented cassava as the starter. (This starter has different names depending on the ethnic group that produces it: ''mangnan Ebrié lidjrou'' in Adjoukrou and ''bêdêfon'' in Allandjan.) The paste is left to ferment for one or two days. Once the fermentation time is over and the vast majority of the
hydrocyanic acid that exists in a large proportion in bitter cassava has been removed, the pulp is dewatered, screened, and dried, and finally cooked by steaming. After a few minutes of cooking, the attiéké is ready for consumption. It is best served with grilled fish and pepper or tomato.
Attiéké sold at markets is usually precooked.
Heritage
In December 2024, acheke was recognized by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
as an
Intangible cultural heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...
.
See also
*
Fufu
Fufu (or fufuo, foofoo, foufou ) is a pounded meal found in West African cuisine. It is a Twi word that originates from the Akans in Ghana. The word has been expanded to include several variations of the pounded meal found in other African c ...
*
Ghanaian cuisine
Ghanaian cuisine refers to the meals of the Ghanaian people. The main dishes of Ghana are centered around starchy staple foods, accompanied by either a sauce or soup as well as a source of protein. The primary ingredients for the vast maj ...
*
List of African dishes
Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth, and is home to hundreds of different cultural and ethnic groups. This diversity is reflected in the many local culinary traditions in choice of ingredients, style of preparation, and cooking techn ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Attiéké images on Flickr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acheke
Ivorian cuisine