Nkui
The mucilaginous Bamiléké sauce
Aussi écrit : nkwi, nkwui, sauce nkui
What is it?
A thick, stringy sauce made from the stem bark of a plant, Triumfetta pentandra. The bark is boiled then beaten by hand at length: it is this working that develops the characteristic mucilaginous texture, so slippery that no cutlery can hold it. It is seasoned with many condiments and local spices.
Main ingredients
- Triumfetta stem bark
- Western spices and condiments
- Rock salt (canwa)
What to eat it with
Hot corn couscous.
Origin and tradition
A Bamiléké speciality of the West, around Bafoussam and Dschang. Highly nourishing, it is traditionally prepared when a child is born and served to the mother who has just given birth, to help her recover in the following weeks.