Cameroon – Fiyifiyi Leaves and Boiled Macabo

by Nghonazie Annabel

Fiyifiyi leaves are flat green leafy vegetables that grow mostly in gardens where cabbage, lettuce and sometimes carrots have been planted. These leafy vegetables looks more like huckleberry but for the fact that it taste differently from huckleberry though the difference is not much. Fiyifiyi leaves are very succulent quantitative as just one stem of it can produce very large leaves. This vegetable in common in the North West region of Cameroon especially in santa, bambili, ndop and banso. It grows mostly in cold areas reasons why it is abundant in the aforementioned areas of the North West region. Fiyifiyi leaves and macabo is thus a delicacy to the people in these areas. The dish is not only delicious but nutritive too. It has an ancestral line as grandmothers love the dish and they say their parents use to prepare it for the family and on days like that they called it sallah because they will prepare it with all happiness adding all the bush meat, cow meat and fish that they come across. This soup can also be eaten with rice, plantains and yams.

Cooking process

The cooking process used here is boiling for the macabo and frying and stewing for the fiyifiyi leaves.

Cooking ingredients

1. 5 bundles of fresh fiyifiyi leaves
2. 10 large macabo
3. Fresh tomatoes
4. Onions
5. Dry fish
6. Crayfish
7. Leaks
8. Red oil
9. Maggi and salt to taste

Cooking method

• Cut off the leaves from the strong stems and put on a bag
• Arrange it neatly to form a bundle and slice it using a sharp knife
• Wash the sliced leaves and put in a pot. Do not add water since it is succulent enough so it will produce water itself. Add salt and allow to boil for 5- 10 minutes
• When it’s ready remove and allow to cold and then squeeze out the water
• Slice tomatoes, onions and leaks
• Select the fish and wash, also remove the bones from the fish
• Put palm oil in the pot and allow to get hot
• Add the sliced tomatoes, onions and leaks. Stir until its well fried
• Add the fish and crayfish and stir
• Put the fiyifiyi leaves into the pot and stir well using a wooden spoon
• Add maggi and salt
• Allow to cook for 10 minutes and remove from the fire
• Peel macabo and boil for 60-120 minutes
• When it’s ready remove and serve on a plate alongside the fiyifiyi leaves

Enjoy your meal and don’t forget to drink water and a glass of chilled fruit drink