What are the main ingredients used in West African cooking? Ingredients used in West African cooking are now more readily available in a market near you in the major cities. Super markets now stock world food or ethnic food in the major cities. Above picture of African Apples.
Krio, Mende And Temne
Here is a list of the food names and local names in the Sierra Leone diet.
| Food | Local Names | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Krio | Mende | Temne | |
| Blackeyed Beans | Binch | Nyekende | E-Tue |
| Bread | Brade | Bradie | |
| Cassava Bread | Cassada Brade | Cassad Brade | Tange Brade |
| Cassava Farina | Gari | ||
| Cassava Foofoo | Foofoo | ||
| Chinese Yam | Chinese Yam | Saine Sie | |
| Coco Yam | Coco | Kpoji | An-Koko |
| Avocado Pear | Piya | Piya | Am-Piya |
| African Apple | Apple | ||
| Mango | Mango | Maguleh | A-Mangkoro |
| Baobab | Monkey Brade | ||
| Banana | Banana | Selei | Mabana |
| Bread Fruit | Bredfruit | Belefu | Ma-Kant-Ma-Potho |
| Plum | Fix Plum | ||
| Grenadilla | Gramadilla | ||
| Honey | Honey | Comie | |
| Grape Fruit | Grape Fruit | ||
| Guava | Gweva | ||
| Lemon | Lem | Lumbei-Nye-Nye | Maroki |
| Orange | Orinch | ||
| Pineapple | Pineappul | Nesi | Ananas |
| Flame Flower | Bologie | ||
| Cassava Leaves | Cassada Leaf | Jaki | |
| Needle Leaf | Shokotoh-Yokotoh | ||
| Lettuce | Salad | ||
| Nightshade | Ogumo (large leaves) Effodu (small leaves) | Kinba | |
| Sorrel | Sawa-sawa | Sato | Ka-santhor |
| Spinach | Greens | Honli | Ka-bonthila |
| Sweet Potato Leaves | Peteteh leaf | Jolaai | |
| Paw Paw | |||
| Sour Plum | Chuk Chuk Plum | ||
| Plantain | Plantin | Maani | E-santi |
| Pumpkin | Ponkin | Anali | |
| Star-apple | Bobby-wata | ||
| Sweet Sop | Sweetee Sap | ||
| Ginger | Gingah | ||
| Water Melon | Watamelow | ||
| Bush Okro | Krain Krain | Ngenge | An-kin-kin |
| Bitter Leaves | Bittas | ||
| Spinach | Gambay Bologie | ||
| Borghum | Kus Kus | Kiti | |
| Melon Seeds | Egusi | ||
| Millet | Funday | ||
| Awusa Nut | Awusa | ||
| Bambara Groundnut | Aparoro | ||
| Cashewnut | Kushu | Kindi | Elil-a-potho |
| Coconut | Koknat | Kokonati | An-hbara-a-potho |
| Colanut | Cola | Toei | |
| Ginger Nut | Kramenti | ||
| Groundnuts | Granat | Nikili | Ma-kanti |
| Pepper | Pehpeh | Puje-wawa | Ta-gbenbeh |
| Sweet Potato | Sweet peteteh | Njowo | E-muna |
| Rice | Ress | Mbei | Wala-Ress |
| Sesame Seed | Benniseed | Monday | Ogiri |
| Sugar Cane | Suga-ken | Nyokoi | Ka-gobkang |
| Sweet Basil | Patmanji | Pasmanja | E-soro |
| Cucumber | Kokumba | Kikposi | Ma-kokum-ba |
| Egg Plant | Jublox | Gbolo | Kponigoji |
| Okra | Okra | Bonday | Ma-lantho |
| Onions | Yabas | Yabasie | |
| Shallot | Leaf Yabas | Siba | An-yaba |
| Tomato | Tamatis | Kibongi | Ma-thamba |
| Yam | Yams | Mbole | Yams |
Source: Favourite Sierra Leone Recipes by Pamela Greene
West Africa Cooks
Editor