Everyone is a planter

Abidjan and Yamoussoukro are the main cities of Ivory Coast.  They have a modern and cosmopolitan feel, with multi-lane highways and high-rise buildings.

Both cities also boast spectacular cathedrals; the one in Yamoussoukro is a full-size replica of St Peter’s in Rome.  Impressive mosques (some built in traditional materials) are also to be found, especially in major centres to the north.

However, across the small towns and villages of Ivory Coast, buildings are usually modest.  Houses are traditionally made of reeds, poles and sun-baked clay, with thatch roofs.  New housing is mostly built using modern materials with corrugated iron sheets for roofing.

Most places have regular open-air markets.  Local staples sold here include yams, maize, cassava, millet, sorghum and peanuts.  Though many Ivorians grow crops for selling, they also plant a range of foods for their own consumption and often keep livestock such as chickens.

Local cuisine

Some of the cities along the coast have a cosmopolitan feel, with sizeable French, Lebanese and Syrian communities offering a range of international cuisine.

Restaurants serving traditional food (known as maquis) operate from open air courtyards.  They offer popular dishes such as kedjenou (chicken with braised vegetables), attieke (cassava ground into couscous-like grains and eaten with fish or meat) and local specialities such as pan-fried frog’s legs. Though tourists are offered cutlery, Ivorians eat with their fingers, washing their hands in basins.

Dessert is typically fruit, since there is a wide range in Ivory Coast, including mangos, mandarins, pomegranates, passion fruit, bananas, pineapple and coconuts.

Popular snacks

A popular snack is aloko, fried banana served with onions and chillies.  Other street food includes yam fries, fried fish and fufu (or foufou) made from fermented and mashed vegetables such as cassava and plantain.

Ivorians often quench their thirst with ginger beer or locally-brewed beer.  Another popular drink is palm wine.

As well as being eaten as a snack, peanuts are used in a variety of ways.  Foods are cooked in peanut oil (rather than butter), giving meat and fish a distinctive flavour.  And since meat and fish are often served with a sauce, peanuts ground with chillies and tomato make a common spicy accompaniment.