Togo Food and Drink

Though the national staple is undoubtedly maize (sweetcorn), eaten on the cob or ground to create a filling savoury porridge, Togolese cuisine also displays the country's German and French colonial legacies in its love of beer and baguettes.

Meat and poultry are plentiful and well prepared, while fish and shellfish are popular choices on the Atlantic coast. Bush meat including agouti (bush rat) remains popular, but is unlikely to be found on many menus. Local fruit and vegetables, particularly tomatoes, okra and spinach, are also readily available.

Specialities

Akume: Savoury porridge made from maize flour and Togo’s staple foodstuff when served with one of a variety of sauces.
Pâtes: Sauces that accompany akume, generally made from aubergine (eggplant), tomato, spinach or fish.
Fufu: Mashed yam eaten with sauces made from peanut, goat or palm nut.
Riz sauce d’arachide: Rice with peanut sauce.
Brochettes: Skewers of meat more often than not with a chilli marinade.
Yassa: Chicken in a spicy and tangy sauce.
Gbomo dessi: Spicy beef and spinach stew.
Djenkoume: Tomato cornmeal fritters served as a side to many dishes.
Koklo meme: Grilled chicken in a chilli sauce.
Grilled prawns: From the fisherman to your plate in a couple of hours.
Palm wine: Potent liquor made from the sap of palm trees.
Tchakpallo: Brewed from fermented millet.

Tipping

When not included, a tip of about 10% is customary.

Drinking age

21.