Country 26: Burkina Faso

Throughout Cook The World so far, there have been countries that I've struggled to find recipes for that fit the no-meat no-nutas element of the challenge, but none more so than Burkina Faso. This was a real struggle. I searched and searched and searched and couldn't find anything - all vegetarian meals had peanuts in them, or if there was something I saw that would work, the ingredients would have been too tricky to come by. I seriously contemplated skipping Burkina Faso all together, but I really hate the thought of missing out a country, so I struggled on.

Some facts about Burkina Faso:

• The country is home to 60 different ethnic groups.
• Burkina Faso means "land of the incorruptible people."
• They gained independence from the French in 1960.
• About nine-tenths of the population work in agriculture.

For the meal, I finally found a recipe for boussan touba, savoury bean cakes. I served these with French green beans, Burkinabé style. Given that the country is a former French colony, I assume that the cuisine is somewhat influenced by the French. So while the green beans dish was from Burkina Faso, it is certainly French-style.

Either way, I was glad to find SOMETHING I was able to cook. And it turned out okay, although boring. Lots of beans, but therefore lots of protein. 

On the menu:

• Boussan touba - savoury bean cakes
• French green beans - flavoured with onion, chilli and ginger, these were surprisingly tasty!