
National Dish Benin: Zomkom (Recipe)
Meet Zomkom, an aromatic peanut-and-vegetable dish that sits close to the heart of Beninese home cooking. Fresh tomatoes, peppers …
Read more →No dish is officially crowned in Benin, yet Dahomey fish stew comes closest, a bright tomato-and-pepper fish stew from the old kingdom’s coast. Begin with our Dahomey Fish Stew recipe and work through 78 authentic Beninese recipes.
Dahomey Fish Stew takes its name from the kingdom that ruled this coast until 1894. Fish simmers in a base of tomato, onion, ginger and pepper, cooked in palm or groundnut oil. It …

Meet Zomkom, an aromatic peanut-and-vegetable dish that sits close to the heart of Beninese home cooking. Fresh tomatoes, peppers …
Read more →
Discover Zomi, a warming rice-and-meat dish that sits right at the heart of Benin’s home cooking. Tender pieces of braised …
Read more →
Yovo doko — literally “white person’s doughnut” in Fon — are Benin’s beloved fried yeast balls, sold warm …
Read more →
Meet Yassa Poulet, the tangy, onion-rich chicken dish that has become one of the great classics of Beninese home cooking. Tender …
Read more →
Discover yam, the creamy, nutty root vegetable at the very heart of Beninese cooking. This humble tuber is boiled, fried or mashed …
Read more →
Discover Watché, the comforting rice-and-bean classic that sits at the heart of Beninese home cooking. Fluffy grains and tender …
Read more →
Meet Wassawassa, a steamed maize dish that sits right at the heart of Beninese home cooking. Soft, golden grains of maize meal are …
Read more →
Wagassi is the fresh cheese of the Fulani herders of northern Benin — milk curdled with plant juice or lemon, pressed into rounds …
Read more →
Meet Toubani, a warming staple that has fed families across Benin for generations. Built from little more than maize flour, …
Read more →
Meet Tô, the smooth, comforting maize or millet porridge that sits at the very heart of Beninese home cooking. Made from little …
Read more →
Meet Telibo, a warming one-pot dish from Benin that brings together tender rice, fresh fish and a generous handful of spices. It …
Read more →
Discover Tchokourou, a warmly aromatic classic from Benin that turns two humble staples, fermented cassava and roasted peanuts, …
Read more →Benin has no single official national dish, but Dahomey fish stew is the one most often given that title, a bright tomato-and-pepper fish stew from the old kingdom's coast. A step-by-step recipe is on this page, alongside 77 more authentic Beninese recipes.
Benin's most famous dish is Dahomey fish stew. This page collects 78 authentic Beninese recipes, from everyday classics to festive specialities.