• Fufu is enjoyed across West and Central Africa, but the ingredients, names and preparation methods differ from country to country.

• Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and DR Congo all have popular fufu or similar starchy staples served with soups and sauces.

• From Ghanaian cassava-and-plantain fufu to Ivorian foutou and Cameroonian fufu corn, each country brings its own flavour and cooking tradition to the dish.

If you think of fufu, you may immediately picture a steaming bowl of soft, stretchy Ghanaian fufu served with light soup, palm nut soup or groundnut soup.

But fufu isn’t exclusive to Ghana.

Across West and Central Africa, different countries have their own versions of this popular staple. The ingredients, preparation methods and even the names can change, but the idea is often similar: starchy foods are cooked, pounded, mashed or processed into a soft, smooth dough that is eaten with soup or sauce.

Here are five African countries where you’ll find their own take on fufu.

In Ghana, traditional fufu is commonly made from cassava and plantain, although other combinations can also be used.

The peeled cassava and plantain are boiled until soft. They are then transferred into a mortar and pounded with a pestle, with the mixture repeatedly turned and pounded until it becomes smooth, stretchy and lump-free.

The finished fufu is usually shaped into balls and served with soups such as light soup, palm nut soup, groundnut soup or abunuabunu.

For many Ghanaians, the pounding process is part of the experience, with one person pounding while another turns the mixture.

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Nigeria has several foods that fall under the broad category of fufu or swallow, and the ingredients can vary considerably.

One popular example is akpu, which is made from fermented cassava. The cassava is processed and fermented before being cooked and stirred into a soft, stretchy dough.

Nigeria also has other staples commonly eaten with soups, including pounded yam, eba and amala.

So while Nigerians may use the word “fufu” differently depending on the region and dish, the country has a rich tradition of starchy swallows served with soups and stews.

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In Côte d’Ivoire, one of the best-known versions is foutou, which is particularly associated with southern parts of the country.

Foutou can be made from ingredients such as plantain, cassava or yam, depending on the preparation.

The ingredients are cooked until soft and traditionally pounded into a smooth, elastic dough.

It is commonly eaten with rich Ivorian soups and sauces, including sauce graine, a palm-nut-based sauce.

This makes Ivorian foutou quite similar in appearance to some Ghanaian versions, while the accompanying sauces give it a distinctly Ivorian character.

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Cameroon has several traditional foods that are similar to what many West Africans call fufu.

One popular example is fufu corn, particularly in parts of the western and northwestern regions.

Whisk corn flour into boiling water and gradually add more flour while turning steadily with a strong wooden stick. Let it steam under a lid, then beat it smoothly until soft and cake-like before wrapping it into portions. Usually paired with Khati Khati and Njama Njama

Depending on the region, it may be served with soups and vegetable-based sauces.

Cameroonian cuisine also includes other starchy staples made from cassava and other crops, reflecting the country’s diverse food traditions.

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In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a popular staple is fufu, also known in some areas by names such as ugali or ugali-like preparations, depending on the region and language.

Cassava is particularly important in Congolese cuisine. Cassava flour can be mixed with water and cooked into a thick, smooth dough.

The finished dish is commonly eaten by hand alongside vegetables, meat, fish or richly flavoured sauces.

Because the Democratic Republic of Congo is such a large and culturally diverse country, preparation and naming can differ considerably from one region to another.

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Both the name and preparation vary across Africa.

Fufu is part of a much broader African tradition of preparing starchy crops into soft doughs or “swallows” that are eaten with soups and sauces.

Ghana has its own distinctive fufu, Nigeria has several related staples, Côte d’Ivoire has foutou, Cameroon has preparations such as fufu corn, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has its own cassava-based staples.

The fascinating part is that these foods can look remarkably similar while tasting completely different depending on the ingredients, preparation method and soup served alongside them.