Acheke ( Ebrié: , bm, acɛkɛ), also spelled attiéké ( Ivory Coast), "attcheke" or akyeke (

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

), 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'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

that is popular and traditional in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

. The dish is prepared from

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...

cassava pulp that has been grated or granulated. Dried attiéké is also prepared, which is similar in texture to

couscous Couscous ( '; ber, ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, translit=Seksu) – sometimes called kusksi or kseksu – is a Maghrebi dish of small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, ...

. Attcheke is an Ivorian specialty which is prepared by the Ivorian people and more particularly the people from the southeast part of the country. It is made from grated

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

that is

, and is flavorful when eaten with fried fish with ground pepper garnished with chopped pepper and onion with a little seasoning for taste added with palm oil to give it a yellowish look and different taste. One can also eat ''akyeke'' with smoked fish and stew. It can be served with soup as well.

Preparation method

The cassava is peeled, grated and mixed with a small amount of cassava that was previously fermented which is the starter. (The 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

hydrocyanic acid Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an in ...

that exists in a large proportion in natural cassava has been removed, the pulp is dewatered, screened, and dried, and then the final cooking is done by steaming the pulp. After a few minutes of cooking, the attiéké is ready for consumption.James J. Singleton. African Cooking: The Most Delicious African Food Recipes with Simple and Easiest Directions and Mouth Watering Taste. 2014. ASIN:B00OL1QXFU It is best served with grilled fish and pepper or tomato. Attiéké sold at markets is usually precooked.

References

External links

Attiéké images on Flickr
Ghanaian cuisine Ivorian cuisine West African cuisine {{African cuisine

Preparation method

See also

References

Further reading

External links