ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Central African Republic
Five dishes to try in the Central African Republic, the most typical first. Three are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in the Central African Republic
Gozo
Stiff cassava dough eaten as the starch with every sauce.
How to have it: Pinch off a piece with your right hand and use it to scoop up stew.
Ngunza
Pounded cassava leaves stewed with palm oil, often with smoked fish or peanut.
How to have it: A daily staple in Bangui homes and eateries, served with gozo.
Peanut stew
Meat or chicken simmered in a thick ground-peanut sauce.
How to have it: Common at Bangui street restaurants; eat it with gozo or rice.
Makara
Fried balls of sweet yeasted dough.
How to have it: Sold at markets and roadside in the morning, often with a cup of coffee or tea.
Palm wine
Mildly alcoholic, cloudy drink tapped from palm trees.
How to have it: Drink it fresh the same day, when it is sweet; it gets sour and stronger by evening.
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Questions
What food is the Central African Republic famous for?
Gozo (stiff cassava dough eaten as the starch with every sauce) comes first on our list, followed by Ngunza, Peanut stew, Makara and Palm wine.
What is the national dish of the Central African Republic?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for the Central African Republic is Gozo: stiff cassava dough eaten as the starch with every sauce. Pinch off a piece with your right hand and use it to scoop up stew.
Which dishes in the Central African Republic are vegetarian?
Three of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Gozo, Makara and Palm wine. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in the Central African Republic?
Makara (fried balls of sweet yeasted dough).
What do people drink in the Central African Republic?
Palm wine: mildly alcoholic, cloudy drink tapped from palm trees.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Central African Republic
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.