Côte d’Ivoire has been in the news for the past year as political affiliations split a country into two and the bloodshed & corruption, so typical of the region, threatens to destroy a country I once knew & loved visiting. Whilst I still believe that the solution initially offered by some members of Gbagbo’s party (who called for the creation of a government consisting only of  technocrats with little or no affiliation to any party) is the only workable one, it seems it has now been thrown off the table & Gbagbo & his remaining followers have become murdering

monsters; the only solution is that an organization like the UN does the appointing because there’s no doubt that corruption will influence even the most politically disinterested technocrat. So, let’s start at the very beginning: because archaeologists found old tool and weapon fragments dating back 10,000 to 15,000 years, we know that there was quite a large human community living here but that’s about it. Côte d’Ivoire is an archaeologist’s nightmare thanks to the humidity that pretty much destroyed all human remains. As is often the case in Africa, the first documented history can be found in the records of the North African traders who, during the Roman era, traded in slaves, gold, salt and various foodstuffs (like coconuts and a variety of spices). Trade was extraordinarily well organised and the southern depots were found right on the edge of the desert – from there they did business as far south as the edge of the rain forest. The most important depots were in Timbuctu, Gao and Djenné from where the great Sudan empires were born because, by controlling the trade routes, their huge armies could control all the neighbouring states as well. After the birth of Islam, the Sudanic empires turned into important centres of Islamic learning and by the 11^th century Islam had reached the north of the region we know, today, as the Côte d’Ivoire.

JOLOFF CHICKEN AND RICE

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken, cut into pieces
• 450 ml fresh, homemade chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 large lemon, lightly grated zest only
• 30ml palm oil – if you can’t get hold of that, use ordinary sunflower oil
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 good tsp ground turmeric
• 1 onion, chopped
• 30 ml dried shrimps – ground
• 1 fresh, very hot green chilli – to ascertain whether it’s hot or not, slice of the tiniest piece and lick it – you’ll soon know
• 350 long grain rice, washed
• Sea salt and black ground pepper to taste

Method

• Make shallow slits in the chicken – one or two across the thighs, the legs, three or four across the breast – leave the wings, they’re fine.
• Rub the chicken with salt, thyme, garlic and lemon zest and set aside in the fridge for about an half an hour.
• Heat the oil in the pan and sear the chicken to golden brown on all sides, before adding the tomatoes, the tomato puree, the turmeric and the onion – stir continuously until everything is well combine and thickened.
• Pour in the stock and stir well, bringing to the boil – simmer for 40 and then add the shrimps and the chillies, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Check and correct the seasoning.
• Put the rice in a pot, scoop 300 ml of the tomato stock from the chicken into a measuring jug and top up with water to add to the rice; cook for ten minutes in order to absorb the liquid somewhat.
• Put a piece of aluminium foil on top of the rice, cover it and cook for another 10 minutes, adding more water if it’s necessary.
• Place the cooked chicken pieces on to a serving dish and reduce all the remaining sauce by half, pour this over the chicken and serve with the rice and slices of fresh lemon.

Because Africa is Africa, nothing remained the same; when one country became powerful and controlled a region, another declined and so it went on until the arrival of the Europeans. Five important states flourished in Côte d’Ivoire in the pre-European era:

• The Islamic Kong Empire established by the Juula at the beginning of the 18^th century (at first it was a thriving centre of trade and crafts) but ethnic discord and religious intolerance soon put an end to that and in 1895 the city of Kong was destroyed by Samori Touré.
• The Abron kingdom of Jaman, established by the Abron became a major centre of Islam.
• The Baoulé kingdom who had a a highly centralized political and administrative structure under three successive rulers eventually became a couple of small chiefdoms – they vigorously resisted the French.
• The descendants of the rulers of the Agni kingdoms were still trying to remain independent long after Côte d’Ivoire’s independence – as late as 1969.
• The Sanwi of Krinjabo tried to break away from Côte d’Ivoire to form an independent kingdom.

In the 15^th century, the first Europeans to explore West Africa were the Portuguese with the rest of the European maritime powers on their heels so that they didn’t miss out on the rich pickings.  In the 15^th century they traded in pepper, ivory and gold but as soon as the colonies were established in the 16^th century slave trading began in earnest.  Because Côte d’Ivoire didn’t have any sheltered harbours along it’s coastline, permanent trading posts couldn’t be established and, luckily, the slave trade had little effect on them but it was the rich ivory pickings that gave Côte d’Ivoire it’s name. Unfortunately, greed doesn’t think and soon there weren’t any elephants left to slaughter and by the 18^th century, the trade had died out.

TILAPIA IN MANGO AND TOMATO SAUCE

Tilapia is the most popular fish in Africa and is served in most countries – it’s a white and moist fish.

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 tsp dried thyme – if you only have fresh thyme, chop very finely and use 2 tsps.
• 30 ml spring onions, chopped
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Flour for dusting
• 30 ml peanut oil
• 15 g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 60 ml white wine
• 1 hot fresh green chilli, chopped
• 600 ml fresh fish stock, seasoned well
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 mango – preferably use a green or slightly unripe mango – peeled pitted and diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Put all four the fish into a large Ziploc bag (or for individual bags) and stuff the fish with spring onions, drizzle over the lemon juice, rub in the garlic, thyme and lemon zest with a little black pepper – remove all air and pop in the fridge to marinate overnight, alternatively
• Stuff the fish with spring onions, put the fish in a shallow bowl, drizzle over some lemon juice and rub in the garlic, the thyme, lemon zest and some salt and pepper, cover loosely with cling wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Remove from the fridge, coat the fish with flour, shaking off the excess and fry on both sides until golden brown, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on absorbent paper.
• Heat the peanut oil and butter in pan, fry the onions until they are translucent and soft, stir in the tomatoes and cook briskly for a couple of minutes before adding the turmeric, the white wine, the chilli, the fish stock and the sugar – stir well and bring to the boil.
• Simmer gently and cook, covered for around 10 minutes before adding the fish and cooking until the fish is done – this normally takes about 15 minutes but you’ll have to check yourself here – please never overcook fish, you’ll destroy it.
• Add the mango, stirring it in and allow it to warm right through, check and correct the seasoning.
• Place the fish on a serving platter, pour over the sauce and garnish with the chopped parsley to serve immediately.

By the mid 19^th century when the French were firmly established in Côte d’Ivoire the Agni and the Baoulés felt it was a good time to invade and soon the kings of Grand Bassam and Assini signed treaties with the French to place their territories under a French protectorate.  Because African history is, generally, very busy we’ll pick up the story again after the Franco-Prussian War when the Germans annexed Alsace which led to the French exodus and Côte d’Ivoire in the hands of Arthur Verdier, a shipper from Marseille and soon a resident of Côte d’Ivoire. In 1885 the scramble for colonies was so frantic, that Otto von Bismarck (who wanted a bigger piece of the pie) decided upon the Berlin Conference to create some order and soon only European annexations were recognised – this was tragic because many of the rulers in the small isolated communities didn’t understand (usually because they were misled) the treaties or what these treaties meant! There were one or two who thought the treaties would help them with aggressive neighbours but the fact remains – the loss of land was due, mainly, to the strength and deception of the French and not because the locals wanted the French there in the first place. The locals still hated having the French because the invaders interfered in their own warring and empire gathering.

FUFU

Ingredients

• 275 ground rice
• 300 ml milk
• 300 ml water
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method

• Put the milk, the water and the butter in a pot and bring to the boil before turning the heat down to low.
• Add the chopped parsley and then gradually add the ground rice, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to prevent the rice from becoming lumpy.
• Cover the pot and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, beating the mixture regularly (every 2 minutes or so) to prevent lumps from forming.
• To test whether the fufu has cooked, take a little bit and rub it between your fingers – if it feels smooth and dry it’s ready.
• If not, cook a little more and test again, check and correct the seasoning before serving hot.

Then the French came up with a head tax in 1900 so that they could undertake a public works program – as could be expected, there were quite a few revolts. The French eventually got their way and each male adult Ivoirian had to work for 10 days a year without being paid as part of his obligation to the state – it was genial because nobody had any money and this was the only way in which the French would get their “pound of flesh”. The French were cruel taskmasters and to the Ivoirians, this tax was a violation of the terms of their treaties because now the French were expecting the local kings to pay them instead of the other way round – so humiliating to them. The French could care less and in the following years, continued to disregard the rules of their treaties, apply divide and rule policies, bribe the elite and treat the locals abysmally. Côte d’Ivoire became independent on August 7, 1960 and Abidjan became the new capital and Houphouët-Boigny became the new prime minister. He was much more conservative than most African leaders of the post-colonial period and, cleverly, maintained close ties to the west and rejected leftist and anti-western notions outright. The country was stable – both economically and politically and did well. At the country’s first multi party elections in 1990, he won by a large margin and the country continued to do well. When he died in 1993, his deputy, Konan Bédié became president but at the end of 1999 a  coup d’état brought economic stability to an end and the country, unfortunately, went the same route as all other African countries. Downhill. One of the great things about the country’s

diverse culture is that it makes the food so interesting. A strong French thread weaves together the food of 60 ethnic groups and a visit to the country, albeit difficult at times, is never uninteresting.

• The Agni and Abron farm with cocoa and coffee and pretty much survive on it.
• The Senufo tribes who live in the country’s northern savannah region, cultivate yams, millet and rice – rice with a peppery peanut sauce rice is a beloved staple.
• The Dioula of the far northwest cultivate  millet,  rice and peanuts to survive.
• The Kulango people of the north grow watermelons, maize, yams and peanuts.
• The coastal tribes have a seafood rich menu and their menu reflects – they also buy vegetables.

Most of the Ivoirians depend on grain and root vegetables and yams, plantains, maize, rice and peanuts have become staples. Fufu is the national dish and is served with meat (often chicken) and kedjenou, a vegetable sauce made with aubergines (eggplants) okra, tomatoes and peanuts. Attiéké is similar to couscous but is made from grated cassava and is a popular side dish. We can’t wish the poverty away – it does exist but for those Ivoirians that can afford meat, chicken and fish top the bill. The history of the country is (here as in all countries) evident in the food they eat and spices are popular with imported and local hot pepper often found to accentuate flavours – more often than not one finds the soups and the stew very peppery. Grains and vegetables are typically served with a variety of sauces and fresh fruit is the standard dessert. Local palm wine or ginger beer are consumed in litres due to the humidity and children, unfortunately, drink soft drinks whenever they can with Youki soda (it’s a little sweeter than tonic

water) probably topping the list of favourites. Outdoor markets, street vendors the local maquis (a restaurant unique to Côte d’Ivoire) are the best places to sample local food – the maquis are reasonably priced, can be found throughout the country and serve really good food – like tasty chicken and fish cooked over low fires served with onions and tomatoes. Fufu and rice with attiéké and  kedjenou can also be ordered here – or even bought at street vendors. If you do get a chance to travel to the Ivory Coast, try and visit someone’s home – the Ivoirians are a generous, hospitable people who enjoy inviting others to join them for a meal and they believe that those who are blessed enough to be able to prepare a meal should share their good fortune with others – a beautiful way of thinking. In a typical village, all the villagers will meat to eat in a common area because “eating not only feeds the body,  it  unites people

people with the community spirit” Women, men and young boys eat separately from one another and from a large mat, placed on the ground. The food is scooped up from large bowls with the right hand – rice is usually  rolled into a tight ball and is used to scoop up meat and sauce. The eldest villagers eat first so that they can detect any contaminated or sour food – if someone suspects that the food is contaminated in any way, the elders will stop the younger members from eating.

Once everyone has begun eating, strict table manners are enforced:

• It’s rude to reach across the table for food.
• Coughing and sneezing at the table is frowned upon – if you want to cough, walk away from the mat.
• After meals, a bowl of water is passed around so that everyone can wash their hands.
• After meals everyone usually starts to chat while the relax in order to digest their meal.