Welcome to the Celtnet Recipes Benin Recipes Home Page

Welcome to the Celtnet Recipes section for recipes from the West African country of Benin. Here you will find all the recipes from Benin on this site all gathered into one place. I have attempted to gather together here as many Beninese recipes as possible. The current collection represents the largest gathering of Beninese recipes into one place on the web today. (Just scroll down for the recipes, they follow the brief introduction to Benin given below.)

Please not that this recipe page (and all the other recipe pages on this site) are brought to you in association with the 'One Million People' campaign, which attempts to educate the children of Liberian refugees exiled to Senegal, West Africa [this is detailed below]. If you find this and the other recipes on this page informative and/or useful please consider giving a small donation to this cause... thank you!

Your donations keep this site going and they keep me motivated to add more and more content to the site as well.

You can also browse recipes from the following other African Regions:

North Africa West Africa Central Africa East Africa Southern Africa

Benin and its Cuisine

Benin, officially: République du Bénin; Republic of Benin was formerly known as Dahomey (until 1975) or Dahomania. Its capital is Porto Novo, but the seat of government is Cotonou. The name "Benin" has no proper connection to Kingdom of Benin (or Benin City). The name Dahomey was changed in 1975 to The People's Republic of Benin, named after the body of water on which the country lies, the Bight of Benin. This name was picked due to its neutrality, since the current political boundaries of Benin encompass over fifty distinct linguistic groups and nearly as many individual ethnic groups. There are several dozen ethnolinguistic groups in Benin, representing three of Africa's language families: Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afroasiatic. The latter is represented by Hausa living mostly as merchants in the north, while Nilo-Saharan is represented by the Dɛndi, descending from the Songhai Empire. The Dɛndi language predominates along the Niger River in the far north, and is used as a lingua franca in Muslim areas throughout the north, in Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces. The largest ethnic group are the Fon, with 1.7 million speakers of the Fon language (2001), followed by the various Yoruba groups (1.2 million), the Aja (600,000), the Bariba (460,000), the Ayizo (330,000), the Fulbe (310,000), and the Gun (240,000). Near the ports in the south can be found people of lighter skin who are descended from returned Brazilian slaves. There are also small numbers of Europeans, principally French, and Asians, mainly Lebanese and Indians. ndigenous religions are followed by a majority of the people. They include local animistic religions in the Atakora (Atakora and Donga provinces) and Vodun among the Yoruba and Tado peoples in the center and south of the country. The town of Ouidah on the central coast is the spiritual center of Beninese vodun.

Traditional Beninese recipes are rich in rice, corn, beans, yams, cassava and millet while the most popular meat found in Benin is fish and Chicken. In common with much of West Africa, due to its relative expense meat is consumed only on special occasions. Due to its having been a French colony there is a significant French influence in Beninese cuisine. The country is also rich in vegetables such as oranges, bananas, mandarin oranges, pineapples, kiwi, avocado and peanuts. These are commonly used in recipes and Beninese cuisine is recognized all through Africa for it's exotic ingredients and cooking methods.


The alphabetical list of recipes from Benin follows (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 27 recipes in total:


Page 1 of 1



Ago Glain
     Origin: Benin
Cheese in Tamarillo Sauce
     Origin: Benin
Poisson au Gril
(Beninese Grilled Fish)
     Origin: Benin
Akassa
     Origin: Benin
Crabe Béninoise
(Beninese Crabs)
     Origin: Benin
Ragoût Béninoise
(Beninese Ragout)
     Origin: Benin
Akkra Funfun
     Origin: Benin
Dahomey Fish Stew
     Origin: Benin
Riz au Gras
('Fat Rice')
     Origin: Benin
Benin Red Sauce
     Origin: Benin
Flan au citron
(Lemon Flan)
     Origin: Benin
Sauce d'Arachide
(Peanut Sauce)
     Origin: Benin
Beninese Beef Stew
     Origin: Benin
Ingame
     Origin: Benin
Sauce de Tomates Crues
(Raw Tomato Sauce)
     Origin: Benin
Beninese Bouille
     Origin: Benin
Mouton aux Arachides
(Lamb in Peanut Sauce)
     Origin: Benin
Sauce Gumbo II
(Gumbo Sauce II)
     Origin: Benin
Beninese Jollof Rice
     Origin: Benin
Moyo de Poulet Fume
(Moyo of Smoked Chicken)
     Origin: Benin
Sauce Légume
     Origin: Benin
Beninese Peanut Sauce
     Origin: Benin
Pâté Blanche
(White Pâté)
     Origin: Benin
Sesame Balls
     Origin: Benin
Calalu
     Origin: Benin
Pâté Rouge
(Red Pâté)
     Origin: Benin
Wagasi in Sauce
     Origin: Benin

Page 1 of 1



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The image above shows the entire continent of Africa with West Africa picked out in red. West Africa is formed from sixteen states: 1: Benin; 2: Burkina Faso; 3: Côte d'Ivoire; 4: The Gambia; 5: Ghana; 6: Guinea; 7: Guinea-Bissau; 8: Liberia; 9: Mali; 10: Mauritania; 11: Niger; 12: Nigeria; 13: Senegal; 14: Sierra Leone; 15: Togo. Also included are the islands of Cape Verde, off the Senegalese coast (not shown on the map).

This list of Beninese recipes is brought to you by the One Milion People Campaign please take a few minutes to make a donation to help Liberian/Sierra Leonian refugee rebuild their lives (all donations are made securely via PayPal):

Solution Graphics

US and UK Cookery Terms

By gwydion | Published 2008-04-22 22:04:54 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

If you are from the US or the UK looking at a recipe from the other side of the Atlantic there are probably many unfamiliar terms in the recipes you encounter. This glossary brings together many of the culinary terms that differ between the tow sides of the Atlantic, making it easier for you to understand recipes from the other side of the pond.

What is an Ice Cream (compared with a glace) and How do you Make one?

By gwydion | Published 2008-06-16 18:52:24 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

An ice cream is a cold dessert made, at the most basic level, with cream and flavourings and which is whipped to incorporate air into the mix both before and during the freezing process. However, Italian ice creams (gelati) have more flavour and are whipped less so they contain less air and are creamier. French ice creams (glaces) are based on an egg custard and taste rich and creamy. Find out more about these frozen desserts and how to prepare them.

The Wild Side of Food — Cooking with Wild Greens

By gwydion | Published 2008-05-01 19:52:39 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

When spring comes around nature begins to offer her bounty of wild flowers and wild greens for your table. Many of these are both edible and good to use. Here you will find two recipes that help you make the most of this natural spring-time bounty...

Traditional Marmalade Recipes of Scotland

By gwydion | Published 2008-06-19 07:58:28 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

According to tradition, marmalade came to Scotland in 1797 when Mrs Janet Keiller had to do something with a ship-load of ripe oranges her husband had bought. From this was born Dundee Marmalade and this bitter-sweet product has been a traditional part of Scottish cookery ever since. Here you will find recipes that include marmalade as an essential ingredient.

Classic Recipes from Scotland

By gwydion | Published 2008-05-29 21:42:59 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

Scottish cookery swings from the essential spartan nature of Highland Cookery, where the most is made of scant ingredients, to the richness of the recipes of the East Coast ports and border towns. Despite its reputation as something of a joke (which is, at least partially, deserved) Scottish cookery is alive and vibrant and represents a fusion of good ingredients, old recipes and modern techniques. Here, recipes are provided for a traditional highland meal and this is contrasted with a traditional rich cake.

The Importance of Spices

By gwydion | Published 2008-03-20 20:36:17 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

Spices are an ubiquitous component of our daily lives. Learn here why black pepper is such an important spice and why the age-old quest for spices is a search for a black pepper replacement.

The Origins of Chutney

By gwydion | Published 2008-04-27 11:07:36 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

Rather than being a British or English invention, Chutneys originated in India and were re-worked during the 18th century as a means of preserving autumn fruit and vegetables. Here you get a recipe for a classic Indian chatni and a British chutney so you can see how one evolved into the other.

Eggs in Cookery - the Magic of Eggs

By gwydion | Published 2008-11-09 09:10:33 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

The egg is one of nature's finest storage foods, packed with protein and fats. Chickens have been domesticated several times throughout human history and they are mankind's commonest domesticated animal, raised for meat and eggs. Here you will learn a little about eggs, why they are important in cookery and how they have been used throughout the ages.

Cooking with Hazelnuts - Hazelnut-based Recipes

By gwydion | Published 2008-10-15 18:38:04 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

Hazelnuts are an important part of the Autumn's bounty and humans have been collecting and harvesting them for many thousands of years. Today, however, we tend to use them only as nuts and do not cook with them. To re-dress the balance, here is an introduction to hazelnuts along with some hazelnut-based recipes for you to try at home.

Fusion Foods and Fusion Cooking

By gwydion | Published 2008-12-30 08:06:37 | 2008 Recipes and Cookery Articles |

Recipe Information:

Fusion cooking is the blending of ingredients and cooking techniques from different areas of the globe. Though most people thing of Asian-influenced dishes as being typically 'Fusion' modern Fusion cuisines can represent dishes influenced by the foods of any region of the world. Though South-east Asian, African, Middle Eastern and Indian influences tend to predominate. Here you will learn a little more about fusion cookery and will be presented with a classic Australian fusion dish.


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