Cameroon – Okok

by Nghonazie Annabel (edited by Finmail)

Okok is a meal or a traditional Cameroonian dish from the central region of Cameroon. It is mostly called “Yaoundé chop” because the people from this area adores this dish. Okok is eru leaves in the Yaoundé dialect, it thus takes its name from this vegetable bearing the name okok.  Okok is made from okok leaves, fried ground groundnuts and palm oil. Okok is either sweet which is called okok sucre or salty referred to as okok sale. The method used in preparing this dish be it the sweet okok or salty okok depends on the suitability of the region. Okok can be accompanied with cassava or mbobolo. But 95% of those who love this meal prefers eating it with cassava. Okok is a low income dish so it’s very common with the francophones in the villages as they prepare it locally but quantitatively. Those who want to make the dish extravagantly prepares it with meat, fish and canda. To the Yaoundé people they believe that the beauty of okok has not been felt until it is served with a bottle of red wine.

Cooking process

Okok is prepared by boiling

Cooking ingredients for okok sucre

• Okok leaves
• Groundnuts
• A little salt
• Maggi
• Cray fish
• Palm oil
• Smoked fish
• cassava

Cooking process

• Select groundnuts and fry
• Take to a machine and ground it making sure it forms a smooth paste
• Select the fish and remove the bones
• Select okok leaves and wash. after washing, put it in a colander and allow to drain
• Put the palm oil in a put and allow to hit for 2 minutes
• Add the groundnut paste to it and stir well
• When it’s well fried, add water and salt and allow to boil for 15 minutes
• Afterwards, add fish and crayfish and stir
• Now put the okok leaves in the content of the pot and mix well with a wooden spoon
• Add maggi and taste to make4 sure its ok
• Add sugar and taste, the quantity of sugar added depends on how sweet you want it to be
• Add a bit of water and allow to boil for 10 minutes
• When the desired thickness is reached, remove from the fire
• Peel cassava and boil for 45-60 minutes
• When it’s ready remove and serve with the okok, not forgetting the red wine if available or any drink or juice which is available

Enjoy you meal