Celtnet Cameroonian Recipes, Home Page

Cameroon, officially République du Cameroun; Republic of Cameroon Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country is called "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity. Natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. The capital and largest city is Yaoundé and Cameroon attained independence from France and Britain on January 1st 1960 and October 1st 1961, respectively. Estimates identify anywhere from 230 to 282 different ethnic and linguistic groups in Cameroon. n lowlands, and the Fulani, who are spread throughout northern Cameroon. A small number of Shuwa Arabs live near Lake Chad. Southern Cameroon is inhabited by speakers of Bantu and Semi-Bantu languages. Bantu-speaking groups inhabit the coastal and equatorial zones, while speakers of Semi-Bantu languages live in the Western grassfields. Some 5,000 Pygmies roam the southeastern and coastal rainforests or live in small, roadside settlements. The European languages introduced during colonialism have created a linguistic divide between the English-speaking fifth of the population who live in the Northwest and Southwest provinces and the French-speaking remainder of the country. Both English and French are recognized as official languages, though Cameroonian pidgin English is the most common lingua franca. Cuisine varies by region, but a large, one-course, evening meal is common throughout the country. A typical dish is based on cocoyams, maize, manioc, millet, plantains, potatoes, rice, or yams, often pounded into dough-like fufu (cous-cous). This is served with a sauce, soup, or stew made from greens, groundnuts, palm oil, or other ingredients.

Originally a German colony, the Cameroon was split between Britain and France after the first world war. France introduced bread and pasta to the country whilst the British introduced desserts. Yet the country's staples remain cassava, yam, rice, plantain, Potato, maize, beans and millet. The main protein source is fish, though bushmeat is also often consumed. Stews formed from greens and beans and flavoured with spices (to which fish may be added) provide the mainstay of the country's cuisine.