Cameroon: Achu

Hermann Mbounou

Achu: Cameroon

Achu and yellow soup

Achu is a food that’s eaten in the Western part of Cameroon. It is usually eaten with different types of soups, for example yellow soup or green soup. It’s a staple food in the western part of Cameroon because the soil and the weather are favorable for growing cocoyam in this part of Cameroon. It can also be called “fufu” in some places or “taro” in the French speaking part of Cameroon. It’s a very traditional food in western Cameroon
s
because of the method of preparation and of eating. In a typical traditional setting, the food is served on plantain leaves and eaten on the floor with the fingers. It’s mostly eaten on traditional occasions, festivals as well as birth and death celebrations. Because of the length of time it takes to prepare achu, it’s hard to find people eating it every day like in comparing to other foods. In the years back, it was common to find two or more people eating achu on the same leaf, symbolizing unity. With the coming of modernism, people no longer eat achu on leaves; neither do they eat in the same plate. However, to maintain the spirit of unity in a family or community, everybody sits at the table at meal time, when achu is the menu of the day.  Even though modernism has taken the leaves away, there’s still one thing that modernism will never steal as far as achu is concerned, it’s the fact that it will always be eaten with the fingers and never with a spoon. Bon appétit!

THE RECIPE

·         Ingredients

• 5 big cocoyams
• 4 green bananas
• Water to mix

·         Procedure

1. Wash cocoyam well
2. Put in a pot, add water and stand over heat
3. Wash green bananas and add  to cocoyam and banana and pound on at a time, using a wooden  mortar and pistle
4. Repound while mixing little bit of water until mixture is smooth
5. Serve with green or yellow achu soup

How to prepare yellow achu soup

·         Ingredients

• 1 kg meat  or dry fish
• 1 cup palm oil
• 1 liter of water
• A piece of lime stone
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Achu soup condiments (Can be found in African shops)

·         Procedure

1. Wash meat or fish thoroughly, cut into required pieces, season with salt and boil until cooked.
2. Wash and grind separately, pepper, black pepper and other condiments
3. Heat red palm oil until very hot
4. Put limestone in hot red palm oil and stir
5. Pour meat stock into the hot red palm oil with lime stone and mix until soup is foamy
6. place prepared ball of achu in soup plate, make well in the middle and serve the soup in the achu well
7. With the right hand index finger scoop achu at a time from the outside, dip into the well of soup and eat

NB: If well preserved, achu will keep for up to a week

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fufu.jpg