The short answer
Cameroonian food is the rich and varied cuisine of Cameroon, a country often called Africa in miniature for its diversity, in West and Central Africa. It centres on starchy staples like fufu, plantain and rice, eaten with flavourful stews and sauces, and it is famous for its national dish ndole, a stew of bitterleaf and ground peanuts, as well as eru, achu, poulet DG and street snacks like puff puff. It is hearty, deeply flavoured, generous food. In the UK you can find the ingredients in African food shops serving Cameroonian and Central African communities.
What to remember
- The ingredients are found in African food shops across the UK.
- Eru, achu, poulet DG and puff puff are among its beloved dishes.
- Ndole, a bitterleaf and ground peanut stew, is the national dish.
- Starchy staples like fufu, plantain and rice anchor most meals.
- Cameroonian food is rich and diverse, from a country called Africa in miniature.
What is Cameroonian Food?
Cameroonian food comes from Cameroon, which straddles West and Central Africa and is so geographically and culturally diverse, with over 200 ethnic groups, that it is often called Africa in miniature. Its cuisine reflects that richness, drawing on forest, savannah, highland and coast, so the food varies from region to region while sharing a love of rich stews, greens, groundnuts, palm oil and starchy staples. It is hearty, flavourful, generous cooking, tied to family, celebration and hospitality.
Most meals pair a starchy staple with a flavourful stew, sauce or soup, and Cameroon has a particular love of leafy-green stews enriched with groundnuts and of complex, layered flavours. There is also a French and English colonial legacy, reflected in the country's two official languages and in some dishes and breads. It belongs to the broad world of African cooking we cover in our guides to Nigerian food and West African food, while having its own distinctive character.
Ndole the National Dish
The most famous Cameroonian dish, and the national dish, is ndole, a rich, savoury stew made from ndole leaves, a type of bitterleaf, and ground peanuts. The leaves are washed and boiled to reduce their bitterness, then cooked with a paste of ground groundnuts, or peanuts, along with onions, garlic, chilli, and meat, fish, prawns, or a mix, into a thick, nutty, savoury, slightly bitter stew. It is beloved for celebrations and Sunday meals and is a real source of national pride. You can read more in our guide to ndole.
Because it is made with ground peanuts, ndole is not suitable for those with a peanut allergy, and where prawns are used those with a shellfish allergy should take care. Served with plantain, rice, or a fufu-style staple, ndole is a magnificent dish and the flagship of Cameroonian cooking.
Eru and the green stews
Another treasured Cameroonian dish, especially in the south west, is eru, a rich stew of finely shredded eru leaves, a forest vegetable, cooked with waterleaf or spinach, palm oil, ground crayfish, and smoked fish and meat into a savoury, satisfying green stew. It is often eaten with water fufu, a soft fermented cassava staple, and it is a beloved speciality. You can read more in our guide to eru.
Cameroon's love of leafy-green stews, ndole, eru, and others, enriched with palm oil, groundnuts, crayfish and smoked fish, is one of the defining features of the cuisine. These deep, savoury greens, eaten with a staple, are the heart of many a Cameroonian meal, nourishing and full of flavour.
Achu poulet-dg and Regional Dishes
Cameroon's diversity shows in its regional specialities. Achu, from the north west, is a pounded cocoyam staple eaten with a distinctive yellow or black soup coloured with limestone and spices, a celebrated dish. Poulet DG, meaning directeur général, or general manager, chicken, is a richer, more modern favourite of fried chicken cooked with plantains, vegetables and a savoury sauce, a party dish with a fun name.
Other dishes include kondre, a spiced plantain and meat stew, mbongo tchobi, a dark, aromatic spiced fish or meat stew from the Bassa region, koki, a steamed black-eyed bean pudding, and khati khati, grilled chicken. This variety, from region to region, is exactly what earns Cameroon its Africa in miniature name.
Puff-Puff Snacks and Street Food
Cameroon has wonderful snacks and street food. Puff-puff, the sweet, fluffy deep-fried dough balls loved across West and Central Africa, are a favourite treat, and you can read more in our guide to puff puff. Beignets, including bean-flour and banana versions, soya, spiced grilled meat skewers, and grilled fish and plantain, are popular street eats.
Snacks like roasted or fried plantain, groundnuts, and corn feature too, and safou, the African plum or bush butter, is a treasured seasonal fruit eaten softened. This lively street-food and snacking culture is a delicious, everyday side of Cameroonian food, enjoyed on the go and at gatherings.
Drinks Hospitality and Where to find it
To drink, Cameroon enjoys fresh fruit juices, ginger drinks, foléré, the hibiscus drink, and, at celebrations, palm wine and beer, as well as strong coffee and tea, reflecting the colonial legacy. Food and drink are shared generously, and Cameroonian gatherings are known for their warmth, abundance and hospitality.
The UK has growing Cameroonian and Central African communities, so ingredients and food are increasingly findable, especially in London and other large cities. African food shops stock the bitterleaf and eru, groundnuts, palm oil, crayfish, cocoyam, plantain, smoked fish and seasonings for Cameroonian cooking. If you want to eat out, you can find African restaurants near you, or book a cook through caterers near you. To cook at home, browse African food stores near you.
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For Cameroonians in Britain, food is a rich link to home and to the country's famous diversity. It is the celebration pot of ndole, the eru with water fufu, the achu for a special occasion, the poulet DG at a party, the puff puff shared among friends. Each dish carries the depth and variety of Cameroonian cooking, and making them abroad keeps that flavour and heritage alive.
There is real richness in Cameroonian food, in the country that is Africa in miniature, from the bitterleaf and groundnut stews to the many regional specialities. When a Cameroonian family in the UK cooks ndole for a celebration, prepares eru, or fries puff puff, they are keeping home close and sharing the generous, deeply flavoured, diverse spirit of Cameroonian cooking. That hearty, varied, welcoming spirit is the heart of Cameroonian food.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national dish of Cameroon?
The national dish of Cameroon is ndole, a rich, savoury stew made from ndole leaves, a type of bitterleaf, and ground peanuts, cooked with onions, garlic, chilli and meat, fish or prawns into a thick, nutty, slightly bitter stew. It is beloved for celebrations and Sunday meals. Because it contains ground peanuts, it is not suitable for those with a peanut allergy.
What is eru?
Eru is a treasured Cameroonian stew, especially in the south west, made from finely shredded eru leaves, a forest vegetable, cooked with waterleaf or spinach, palm oil, ground crayfish and smoked fish and meat into a rich, savoury green stew. It is often eaten with water fufu, a soft fermented cassava staple, and it is a beloved regional speciality.
Why is Cameroon called Africa in miniature?
Cameroon is called Africa in miniature because it is remarkably diverse, with forest, savannah, highland and coastal regions, over 200 ethnic groups, and both French and English colonial legacies. This diversity shows in its food, which varies greatly from region to region, from ndole and eru to achu, mbongo tchobi and many more, all within one country.
What is poulet DG?
Poulet DG, meaning directeur général or general manager chicken, is a richer, more modern Cameroonian favourite of fried chicken cooked with plantains, vegetables and a savoury sauce. The name suggests a dish fit for a boss, and it is a popular party and celebration dish, hearty and full of flavour.
Where can I find Cameroonian food in the UK?
Look in London and other large cities with Cameroonian and Central African communities, where African food shops stock bitterleaf, eru, groundnuts, palm oil, crayfish, cocoyam, plantain and smoked fish, and some restaurants serve the food. You can find African restaurants near you and African food stores through the platform to eat out or cook at home.
