Pâte et Sauces

The Beninese diet is built around two things: pâte and sauces.

Pâte is a simple staple consisting of a large quantity of corn flour mixed into hot water. The final product is a molten hot, gelatinous substance that is poured into a bowl. As it cools, it takes on the shape of the container and the outside becomes firm. This bowl shaped blob is turned over onto a plate and served with a sauce.

Sauces are extremely important to the Beninese diet and offer a variety of flavors and nutritional value to the otherwise unchanging pâte. So far I have had several sauces.

Sauce de legume seems to be a tomato and palm oil-based sauces with the leaves of an indigenous plant’s leaves mixed in. There is also dried fish mixed in sometimes. This sauce is good

Crincrin is a sauce made out of a plant of the same name. This sauce is notorious among Peace Corps Volunteers. Before trying it, I had only heard that it had the consistency of snot and to avoid it if at all possible. When my host family made if for me two nights ago I found that it was actually delicious. I would say the sauce has more in common with melted mozzarella cheese; that is, if melted mozzarella was green and plant-based with some stems in it.

Sauce de moringa is so far my favorite. Moringa is made from another local plant that is actually a super food. It contains a tremendous amount of protein and various B vitamins. The sauce also has spicy peppers and peanut oil in it to add more complexity.

How to eat . . .

You eat pâte and an accompanying sauce with the right hand only. You take a ball of pâte (being careful not to sear the skin off of your fingers on the lava interior) and put the ball in the sauce. Then you pick up the glob of sauce-dipped pâte and put it in your mouth. Then repeat. Proper technique involves using your four fingers held together like a shovel and rotating the wrist in oder to dump the delicious glob onto your tongue. You should not have to tip your head back.

For the record, hand washing is mandatory before and after eating.

Note:

Be aware that you will most likely be fed more than you can possibly eat. “Hoto gohoun” is how you say I am full in Fon, the local language. Bon appetit!