Cuisine

Guinea-Bissau, a country on Africa's west coast along the Atlantic Ocean, is known for its Bissau-Guinean cuisine. In the interior, millet is a common food, while rice is a staple in the diets of those who live close to the coast. Due in great part to coups, corruption, and inflation, a major portion of the rice is imported, and food insecurity is a problem. To be exported, cashews are farmed. They also grow olives, coconuts, and palm nuts.

In Guinea-Bissau culture, along with cereal grains, milk, curd, and whey, people frequently eat fruit, vegetables, fish, shellfish, and dairy products. The Portuguese promoted the production of peanuts. Additionally planted are Vigna subterranea (Bambara groundnut) and Macrotyloma geocarpum (Hausa groundnut). Also included in the diet are black-eyed peas. It is harvested palm oil. Soups and stews are common dishes. Yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, onions, tomatoes, and plantains are typical components. Aframomum melegueta seeds are used in cooking along with other spices, peppers, and chilis (Guinea pepper).