Renown for its flavorful palate, rich textures and organic fruit and vegetable bases, West African Food is gradually finding a place on the world food maps. Here are some of the tastiest West African dishes to try if you are ever in the region, or to experiment with in the comfort of your kitchen!

1. Jollof Rice; Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana

No conversation about West African Food is complete without Jollof Rice. Often the subject of numerous debates and even full-blown wars over which region makes the best version, Jollof Rice is a great favorite all over West Africa. Interestingly, Jollof Rice is thought to be the origin of the Cajun dish jambalaya.

Jollof Rice is a simple, spicy one-pot dish comprising, at its most basic, rice, tomatoes, onions, pepper, spices (such as nutmeg, cumin and ginger) and vegetables. Meat, Moin-Moin or fried plantain are common accompaniments. It is often served at parties and other festive gatherings in West Africa and beyond. It has also garnered international interest with many acclaimed chefs (including British Chef, Restaurateur and Author, Jamie Oliver) controversially including it in their cookbooks.

2. Superkanja; Gambia

This is a Gambian okra stew that packs a nutritional and flavourful punch with its combination of leafy greens, such as spinach, collards, okra and sweet potato leaves. Combined with onions, chilli peppers and fish or meat, variations of this dish are found all over West Africa, such as the Ghanaian kontomire.

3. Moin-Moin; Nigeria

Moin Moin is a steamed bean pudding made from black-eyed peas, onions and a combination of freshly ground peppers. It is a fairly versatile dish and some add crayfish smoked fish, corned beef or boiled eggs to add to the flavour. It can be eaten alone, with bread or with a steaming hot plate of Jollof rice.

4. Souya or Suya; Nigeria, Niger Republic, Cote D’Ivoire

Skewers of spiced cuts of meat (such as beef, mutton, turkey or chicken) marinated in suya pepper/spice are perfectly grilled on an open charcoal fire or BBQ. Often served with chunks of an assortment of fresh vegetables and raw onions, spicy sauce for dipping and extra seasoning, this dish is best enjoyed alongside a cold beer. Also known as Souya or choukouya, this is the perfect late night snack for heavy partiers in West Africa. In Côte d’Ivoire, people eat it with alloco (fried plantains).

5. Egusi Soup; Nigeria

Made from Egusi (melon seeds) rich in fat and protein that have been dried and ground up, this soup or stew typically contains peppers, leafy vegetables, meat or fish. Popular among the Ibo people of Nigeria, variations of this rich stew can be found all over West Africa. In Nigeria, it’s usually eaten with pounded yam or Garri (swallow made from Cassava).

6. Kenkey; Ghana

Kenkey is a corn-based staple in Ghana. Similar to Banku (a Southern mix of fermented corn and cassava dough, and very hot pepper, diced tomatoes and onions.), Kenkey is made by moulding fermented corn dough into balls and wrapping them around drying corn leaves, which are then boiled. The meal is served with hot pepper sauce, fried crabs, octopus or fish and is a delicacy of the Accra people.