Cameroonian Food: Special ‘Kwacoco Bible’
On this blog we will bring to you a plethora of recipes within and without Africa. Cooking is one thing we enjoy doing so much and well people say we do it so well. *wink* we will be sharing our adventures in the kitchen with you. This is the pioneer recipe we are posting so yayyy! Over to the food…
‘Kwacoco Bible’ wasn’t a stable on our family dining table while we were growing up (well we're still growing). However, we developed a love for it while we were studying at the Presbyterian Comprehensive Secondary School, Buea. This school, which sits at the foot of Mount Fako in the South West Region of Cameroon is on the land of the Bakweris, the ‘Kwacoco Bible’ eaters.
Every night after evening devotion, our school night watchman AKA ‘Pa washi’ will bring satisfying pepperish Kwacoco prepared probably by his wife and will (illegally) sell them to us. We often scrambled to get at least a lump of this goodness, which costed 100 CFA francs each (approximately 0.0201142 USD). That was how we got initiated.
We fondly called it ‘kwacs’. Don’t ask us why the name of the meal includes ‘Bible’. We don’t know either!
We have realized over time that Kwacoco has a wide appeal. The other day our Ugandan friend and her kids scrambled over some slices we gave them to try. So you do not have to be Cameroonian to like this. Well, let’s start cooking!
You will need…
4 Medium sized cocoyams (taro)
A quarter liter palm oil
A quarter cup of crayfish
Smoked fish
Spinach leaves/ potato leaves (Originally made with Cocoyam (or taro) leaves
2 Maggi cubes
Salt to taste
1 habanero pepper
Plastic wraps and aluminium foil (Preferably use banana or plantain leaves to wrap)
Peel the cocoyams and use a grater to grate it into a smooth paste. You could use a food processor as well.
Add all ingredients to the grated cocoyams except the palm oil and mix well.
Warm the palm oil and add to the mixture. Mix again until the colour is even.
Create wraps by wrapping some spoonfuls in a piece of plastic wrap, then wrap again in some aluminium foil. (If you have plantain/banana leaves then use them instead of the plastic wrap and foil paper).
Place some foil paper (or banana leaves) underneath the pot in which you will cook the meal. Put all the wraps into the pot, add some water and steam on high heat for approximately one hour. Check from time to time so you can add more water if it dries up.
Here are some pictures to further explain…
When you try this, let us know how it goes. Bon Appetit!
