Mets de pistache

What is it?

A savoury steamed cake. The "pistachio" is nothing like the European one: these are the seeds of a squash (Cucumeropsis mannii), close to egusi. Hulled then crushed into a paste, they are combined with meat or fish, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed slowly until they set like a soft bread.

Main ingredients

• Squash seeds (pistachios)
• Meat or smoked fish
• Banana leaves

What to eat it with

Cassava stick (miondo), plantain or steamed yam.

Origin and tradition

A pan-Cameroonian dish with a name for each people: nnam ngon among the Beti, nkôno ngond among the Bassa, ngonda mukon on the Sawa coast. A prestige dish kept for great occasions — Christmas, weddings, and the presentation to the in-laws at the bride price.