Burkinabé Cuisine

Burkinabé cuisine is a hearty, wholesome and communal West African tradition, built on the hardy grains of the Sahel, millet, sorghum and maize. Its staple is tô, a firm porridge or dough eaten with rich, flavourful sauces of leaves, okra, tomato or peanut. A great favourite is poulet bicyclette, literally bicycle chicken, free-range birds grilled to smoky perfection and much loved at roadside grills, along with brochettes and grilled fish. Rice dishes such as riz gras, the ancient nutty grain fonio, beans and fritters round out the table. Warm, filling and generously shared, and washed down with local millet beer or bissap hibiscus juice, it reflects the friendly hospitality of the Burkinabé.

What you actually see

• Tô - the firm millet or maize porridge with rich sauces.
• Poulet bicyclette - the smoky grilled free-range chicken.
• Riz gras and fonio - the savoury rice and ancient nutty grain.
• The brochettes - the grilled meat skewers and fish.

When to go

Year-round; Burkinabé food is enjoyed across the country and through the diaspora. The staple tô with rich sauces, smoky poulet bicyclette from roadside grills, and refreshing bissap hibiscus juice are the signatures to seek out.

Honest expectations

Burkinabé cooking is hearty and staple-based, centred on tô and grilled meats rather than elaborate dishes, so its charm lies in warmth, smoky flavour and communal sharing more than variety. As a wholesome, generous Sahel tradition, from tô and rich sauces to the beloved bicycle chicken and ancient fonio, though, Burkinabé cuisine is a genuine and satisfying delight.

Nearby

The grills and markets of Ouagadougou, and Burkinabé eateries abroad, serve it.