Africa's Finest

Africa's Finest is a label specialising in West African staples, and its fufu flours make it quick to prepare the pounded starches that once took a mortar, a pestle and a strong arm. The flours are ground and dried so they cook in minutes on the hob.

We carry Africa's Finest plantain fufu and cocoyam fufu in our fufu and gari collection, part of semolina and couscous in the atta and flour department. Plantain fufu has a gentle sweetness from the fruit, while cocoyam gives a smooth, earthy, elastic swallow.

To make fufu, bring water to the boil, sprinkle in the flour while stirring hard with a wooden spatula, then keep turning and pressing the dough against the pan until it is smooth, stretchy and free of lumps, adding a splash of water if it stiffens. Shape it into balls with wet hands. In Ghana it is served with light soup and groundnut soup, and in Nigeria with egusi, okra and ogbono soup, pinched off by hand and dipped. It also pairs well with a spicy pepper soup on a cold day, and a little practice gives a smoother, silkier result each time.

Keep the flour sealed in a cool, dry cupboard, and store any leftover fufu wrapped in cling film in the fridge, reheating it in the microwave with a few drops of water. For other starches, compare with our couscous and semolina.