Located in between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia is the 7th largest country in Africa, Angola.
With a population of 35 million, this country is well known for its oil and diamond resources, traditional Kizomba dance and on a smaller scale one of their traditional foods: funge.
We asked 36 year old Angolan, Leonora Junior, what are five plates she would recommend travellers to try out and she said:
Mufete
This dish includes different ingredients including:
- Grilled fish, usually Mackerel, Rooster, or small Tilapia, locally known as cacusso
- Beans with palm oil
- Plantains
- Cassava
- Baked yam, commonly known as sweet potato in the UK but the potato used in Angola is a different one
- A type of local flour called musseque
- Fresh sauce made of onions, vinegar, olive oil and salt
Upon ordering it you should have one plate with the fish and the sauce spread all over it followed by smaller plates that contain each of the side dish mentioned above.
Galinha de muamba com funge de milho e feijão de óleo de palma
This dish can be literally translated as: Muamba chicken with corn funge and beans with palm oil.
Known as the national dish of Angola, it is a creamy chicken dish made from a blend of local ingredients such as Okra, Jindungo sauce (which is mild), and abóbora (pumpkin).
Alongside the chicken you’ll have boiled beans and their common funge, which is a type of porridge made of cassava flour whisked in boiling water and has a sticky-like consistency.
Picanha à brasileira
Having influences from Brazil, Angolans love picanhas, which is a dish made of a cut of beef with feijoada (the Brazilian black bean stew), rice, farofa, and a juicy salad of cucumber.
