Ablo — Benin

Ablo is a small, pale cake with a soft, slightly springy crumb, made by steaming a batter of corn flour and rice flour until it firms up. In Benin it is shaped into round patties and sold warm, wrapped in banana leaf, at markets and by roadside vendors. The cake is particularly associated with the Adja-Ewe communities of southern Benin, who prepare it for cultural celebrations and family occasions. The same style of cake is reported across the neighbouring region, in Togo, in Ivory Coast under the name abolo, and in Ghana, with each area keeping its own timing and accompaniments. To make it, corn flour and rice flour are mixed with water and left to rest, often with a brief fermentation that lightens the crumb and gives it a mild tang. Spoonfuls of the batter are wrapped in banana leaf and steamed over simmering water for around twenty minutes, until set but still moist. Wheat semolina or corn starch can stand in for part of the rice flour. In Benin, ablo is commonly paired with ata, a fiery sauce of tomato, onion and chili sometimes finished with smoked fish, which cuts through the mild sweetness of the cake. It is eaten as a snack, a breakfast, or alongside a main meal, and street vendors keep it warm over charcoal well into the evening.