Eating the Gabon food or the choices for those of a specific country is one way of appreciating and respecting the culture. With the extremely palatable foods that Gabonese recipes have to offer, people of other countries simply find it impressive to find strange food on their plates.
Though some may consider it exotic, eating Gabon recipes for mushy caterpillar dish is a real lifetime experience. Have you tried eating porcupines, pangolin, or fiery peppers? As what has been said, if you are in Gabon, you have to try the mouthwatering Gabonese recipes.
Tourists in Gabon enjoy the French and continental-style food served in most hotels and restaurants. But, there is more about Gabonese recipes. It can be described in a few words: distinctive and delicious.
Foods in this part of the Africa are readily available and they are typically defined as Senegalese, Cameroonian, and Congolese food. Gabon recipes national specialties are: braised fish (which is either red fish or bass), Manioc leaves, fish stew (Bouillon de poisson) and Nyembwé.
18 Mouthwatering Gabon Food and Recipes You Must Try
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1. Oven-baked Bananas from 196Flavors
Oven-baked bananas are certainly one of the iconic Gabon food choices. Crispy and tasty, they are traditionally eaten with dessert, as an accompaniment or just as a snack. The locals are very fond of it and do not hesitate to add brown sugar to make them even more decadent. Also, they are usually served with sour cream.
Oven-baked banana Gabon recipes are a common cooking method in Africa. However, this dessert is not confined geographically to the African continent. Indeed, it is found in other parts of the world where bananas grow in abundance. This is the case for the Caribbean region and South Asia. Also, no one knows with exactness the origin of this dish that is so widespread.
2. Spaghetti with lobster from Delicious
Who doesn’t love lobster? This lobster and pasta recipe are one of our favorite meals at home. We were touring the Gabon states on vacation for one year. We happened to stop at a local restaurant in search of some great Gabon food, and on the menu was Spicy lobster spaghetti. The pasta was perfectly cooked in a light olive and then tossed with juicy and succulent lobster meat.
3. Gabon – French Mustard Chicken from Cafe Delites
Boneless chicken breasts soak up a comforting sauce filled with Dijon, herbs and wine. There is only one feeling you get when sitting down to eat one of these Gabon recipes for French Mustard Chicken… pure decadence! Spoil yourself or your loved ones with this luxurious chicken recipe!
When cooked properly like any Gabon food, mustard is an incredibly delicious addition to many recipes. Dijon allows chicken, beef or pork dishes to shine, but throwing a good quality (inexpensive) dry white wine into the mix makes for an eloquent dinner. If you’ve never cooked with mustard and white wine together, you will love using them both to make this creamy, savory sauce.
4. Gabon Chicken Brochettes from Bon Appetit
Gabon recipes using dark-meat chicken are the best for grilling: Unlike lean breasts, thighs have plenty of fat, so they won’t dry out.
5. Congo Bars from Fountain Avenue Kitchen
Congo Bars = the ultimate Gabon food blondie! Perfectly chewy and so much easier to make than a batch of cookies, this foolproof recipe is a childhood favorite that has stood the test of time.
Earlier this summer, I was baking a batch of these time-tested blondies to send in a care package to my younger son, who was a camp counselor in Maine.
As I pulled the bars out of the oven, the surface appeared a little lighter than usual. (The batch in question is pictured immediately below⇩.) Upon cutting, the texture seemed somewhat cakier－but apparently not enough to make my mistake occur to me.
6. Dongo-dongo from Varieties Cuisine Congo
Dongo-dongo is a very popular Gabon food adopted in the DRC. These same Gabon recipes can be prepared with smoked fish or shrimp or without both. It remains good and can be eaten as desired. Composition: • 2 bundles of tender dongo-dongo • 2 smoked fish/shrimps • 1 aubergine • Fresh tomato • Green peppers • Onion, celery, ndembi, garlic • Aroma • Pili-pili and salt • Refined oil
7. Gabon African Beignets Recipe from Polkadot Passport
Although beignets are not exclusively a Gabon food, given their popularity throughout the country, we figured these fried dough pieces were worth making. A few years ago, we never went near dough-based recipes. I don’t think we ever even had yeast in the cupboard.
Nowadays, it feels as though we are making a new dough recipe every week. It has really helped us get comfortable with a new realm of cooking. That being said, the success of our Gabon recipes has been varied. I like to blame the fails on yeast gone bad, but they are probably just as likely user error.
8. Gabon Coconut Flan from 196Flavors
Coconut flan (or flan de coco in French) is a traditional Gabonese recipe made from coconut milk, grated coconut, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.
Its origin is said to be linked to French colonization in West Africa. It is also famous in the West Indies where it bears the name of West Indian custard or West Indian coconut custard.
For this Gabon food like any coconut flan to be perfect, the center of it must remain slightly wobbly. This version is different from the traditional flan, the addition of grated coconut gives it a slight biscuit texture that is soft at the same time.
Unlike other versions of coconut flan, the Gabon recipes also do not contain sweetened condensed milk which changes both its visual appearance making it look like pastel de nata, as well as its texture. It also gives a less sweet and more digestible custard. This is a cheap and very quick recipe to prepare.
9. Muamba De Galinha (Muamba Chicken) from African Bites
Muamba Chicken aka Muamba de Galinha – An aromatic Gabon food favorite , flavored with garlic , chilli , vegetables and cooked in palm oil. Lip-smacking good and filling weeknight meal!
For a while now, palm oil has had a bad rap- not eco-friendly, contains saturated fat and not good for the body. In the recent years, that theory is quickly changing into palm oil is good for you, and “labeled better for you than butter”.
Want more ideas to round-out your Recipe Box?
A lot of great options are in these posts!
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10. Chakery from International Cuisine
Chakery, a Gabon recipes dish made of couscous is sweet and creamy. Desserts are not all that common in Gabon food culture, however, this is a lovely way to end an African meal especially if you add pineapple to it. The creamy comes from some evaporated milk, vanilla yogurt and sour cream. The sweet comes from a bit of nutmeg and of course the pineapple. Enjoy!
11. Poisson Salé: Gabonese Salted Cod Stew from Arousing Appetites
Even in places endowed with an abundance of Earth’s natural resources, it’s not necessarily a “given” that a flourishing cuisine will develop.
The coastal African countries like Gabon lends is a perfect example of this. It seems like much of the Gabon food developed on the fly with the help of external influences and historical passersby.
And yet, what’s resulted is a contemporary Gabonese recipe that is quite unlike anything else. Take one bite of poisson salé, or ndole, or any other dish, and you will quickly understand how special and unique the cuisine has become.
12. Plantain Pilé (Plantain Balls) from Foreign Fork
These plantain balls, or plantain pilé, are a popular Gabon food. They can be served either plain or with sauce! “Travel” to Gabon: Experiencing a country through its food is a great way to get a “taste” of what life in that country is like… even if you’re not eating it in the country! These Banana Pilées give you a little glimpse into life in Gabon.
I LOVE cooking with plantains! There are so many delicious Gabon recipes you can make with plantains, and I love how the taste can change so drastically when you’re using ripe vs unripe plantains. This recipe is a great way to show you what a combo can do.
13. Gabon Torta from Cool Inarika
One of the beautiful old-fashioned cakes, which delights you with the first bite.
The Gabon recipes have remained unchanged for years, it is a must-have treat for holidays and birthdays, it is very easy to prepare, with affordable ingredients and it could be said that it is not expensive. The strong taste of chocolate and hazelnut leaves no one indifferent.
14. West African Fufu from Chef Lola’s Kitchen
Fufu (or foofoo or foufou) is possibly one the most famous west African ”swallow” foods. It is a filling side dish – starchy, smooth, dense, and stretchy that is much beloved because it is delicious, simple, satisfying, and easy to prepare.
Foofoo is made from cassava, which is also known as yuca. It is a starchy root vegetable, similar to sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, and yams. It can be fried, baked, and prepared just like potatoes; however, it becomes very smooth, doughy, and elastic when made into fufu.
15. Gabonese Cucumber and Tomato Salad from Cooking with Alisa
The Gabonese recipe for Cucumber and Tomato Salad is by far my favorite Gabon food. It is basically a cucumber, tomato and onion salad but with a heafty dose of cumin. The orginal recipe called for 1T of cumin.
We tried it that way and even though we like cumin and I season our food with it a lot, it was a bit overpowering and made the otherwise refreshing tomato, cucumber and onion salad feel a bit gritty/chalky. I recommend cutting down on the cumin – ideally to 1 tsp, but you may want to try with 2 tsp as that is more faithful to the original recipe. Enjoy!
16. Gabon-Nyembwe Chicken with Palm Nuts and Sauce from Food and Culture Recipes
The Gabon recipes are very important to me and my family. It’s a simple Gabon food we eat all the time when my aunts, uncles, and grandparents visit from Gabon and also because nyembwe chicken is one of the national dishes of Gabon. Food and this meal bring me and my family together and remind us of our ties, our closeness, and our culture.
Before the meal is served, there are rituals that we follow: we bring all our hands together and say grace in my father’s language, thanking the Lord for bringing everyone together and while we’re saying grace, there’s always Gabonese music playing in the background
17. Poissons en sauce aux arachides (Fish in Peanut Sauce) from My Whisk
These Gabon recipes are a popular staple of Gabon cuisine. It is simple to make and requires just a few simple ingredients. Fresh fish does not require marinating, but it is important to ensure that the fish is well-cooked before adding it to the sauce. You can prepare the sauce ahead of time in a food processor and heat it up when ready to serve. The flavor of this dish is enhanced when it is served over white rice.
18. Moambe Chicken from International Cuisine
Moambe Chicken is the national dish of both Congo’s and Gabon. It is the familiar flavors of western and central African cuisines with tomato, peanuts and onion with a little kick. Enjoy this dish with some Congo rice and fried plantains for an authentic Congolese meal.
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