Local Dishes

1. To

   Tô (millet or sorghum paste)

   Usage

   A staple paste eaten with a sauce

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary defines tò as a cereal dish, a paste made from sorghum or millet flour. It is a different word from the verb to (stay) and from tɔ (the rest); tone and context separate them.

2. To biɲɛ

   Tô without sauce

   Usage

   Describes tô served without sauce

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary has the example "tò biɲɛ" (tô without sauce); "biɲɛ" means without sauce.

3. Dɛgɛ

   Dégué (millet flour thinned in water)

   Usage

   A thin cereal dish that is drunk or eaten as a porridge

   Grammar Note

   The Bamadaba dictionary glosses it as a brew of flour mixed in liquid; An ka taa calls it a traditional millet dish.

4. Fɔyɔ

   Foyo (fonio couscous-style dish)

   Usage

   A granular dish served with sauce

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary describes a dish in granules, a kind of couscous based on fonio and served with sauce.

5. Juga

   Juga (couscous of fonio and peanut)

   Usage

   A couscous made from fonio and peanuts

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary glosses it as couscous based on fonio and peanuts, with "basi" as a synonym.

6. Basi

   Couscous

   Usage

   A steamed granular cereal dish

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary glosses bàsi as couscous and gives the example bàsi fìn (steam couscous). The same spelling basi also means blood, fetish or bitter (different tones); context decides.

7. Mɔni

   Mɔni (cereal porridge)

   Usage

   A thick porridge made from flour

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary glosses it as a liquid dish, a porridge of granulated flour; synonyms are baga and seri.

8. Seri

   Seri (porridge of crushed grain)

   Usage

   A porridge of crushed grain

   Grammar Note

   The dictionary glosses it as a porridge of crushed cereals; An ka taa adds "usually of rice". The verb seri (scatter) is spelled the same but is a different word (tone separates them).

9. Zaamɛ

   Zaamɛ (jollof rice, "riz gras")

   Usage

   West African rice dish cooked in oil with a mix of ingredients

   Grammar Note

   Listed in An ka taa as jollof rice (riz gras); it does not appear in Bamadaba.

10. Akara

    Akara (bean fritter)

    Usage

    A snack of fried bean batter

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses ákara as a bean fritter.

11. Ŋɔmi

    Ŋɔmi (fritter)

    Usage

    A fried dough snack

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses it as a fritter (An ka taa: fritter, galette). The letter ŋ is a single velar nasal sound, not "ng".

12. Sogokalama

    Meat skewer (brochette)

    Usage

    Meat grilled on a skewer

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses sògokalama as a meat brochette; the synonym is bíɲɛkalama. It is sògo (meat) plus kalama (glossed as a small stick or stalk); the verb sɔgɔ (pierce) is unrelated.

13. Ganjalanna

    Sauce of dried okra

    Usage

    A sauce made with dried okra

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses gánjalanna as a sauce of dried okra, containing gán (okra).

14. Tigadɛgɛ

    Peanut paste

    Usage

    Ground peanut paste used in cooking

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses tìgadɛgɛ as peanut paste (An ka taa: peanut butter), from tìga (peanut) and dɛgɛ.

15. Sunbala

    Soumbala (fermented nɛrɛ-seed condiment)

    Usage

    A fermented seasoning that flavours sauces

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses súnbala as a condiment made from fermented nɛrɛ seeds (An ka taa: soumbala spice). Use this word and no near-spelled substitute.

16. Nɔnɔkumu

    Curdled milk

    Usage

    Milk that has soured and set

    Grammar Note

    An ka taa glosses nɔnɔkumu as curdled or sour milk, from nɔnɔ (milk) and kumu (sour).

17. Fini

    Fonio (a tiny grain)

    Usage

    Fonio, the grain used for granular dishes

    Grammar Note

    The dictionary glosses fíni as fonio (Digitaria exilis). The word fini (cloth) has the same spelling and differs only in tone, so context decides.

18. Naji

    Soup or sauce

    Usage

    A liquid sauce poured over rice or paste

    Grammar Note

    An ka taa glosses naji as soup, sauce or broth, from na (sauce) and ji (water).

Browse all TravelPhrases languages