Wagasi Cheese of Borgou

Wagasi is a fresh cheese made by Fulani women in northern Benin from cow's milk set with sap from the Calotropis plant rather than animal rennet, then pressed into rounds and often boiled in sorghum-leaf dye that turns the outside a deep red-orange. It is sold in markets and at roadside stalls, sliced and fried, and it is one of very few cheese traditions in West Africa.

What you actually see

• The plant coagulant - Calotropis sap used instead of animal rennet.
• The red rind - the colour from boiling the rounds in sorghum-leaf dye.
• The Fulani makers - the women who produce it in the herding communities.
• The fried slices - the usual way it is sold and eaten.

When to go

Year round; it is a fresh cheese made continuously. Markets are the easiest place to find it. It does not keep long in the heat.

Honest expectations

It is a fresh cheese with a short life and hygiene at roadside stalls varies. The texture is squeaky and firm rather than creamy, which surprises people. It does not travel.

Nearby

Parakou is the main market, and Nikki is northeast.