Ablo — Ivory Coast

Abolo is a small, pale, faintly sweet cake steamed from a batter of corn flour and rice flour until the crumb turns soft and slightly springy. In Ivory Coast the cakes are shaped into round patties, wrapped in banana leaf, and sold warm from baskets carried by street vendors. The same cake is reported under the name ablo in Togo and Benin, and in Ghana, with Ivorian cooks and vendors settling on their own habits for size, timing and accompaniment. In Ivory Coast, abolo is a familiar sight in the evening street food scene of cities such as Abidjan. To prepare it, corn flour and rice flour are mixed with water and left to rest, sometimes with a short fermentation that lightens the crumb and adds a mild tang. Spoonfuls of batter are wrapped in banana leaf and steamed over simmering water for about twenty minutes, until firm but still moist inside. Wheat semolina or corn starch can replace part of the rice flour. In Ivory Coast, abolo is commonly paired with grilled fish, attiéké, or a peanut sauce built on ground peanuts, tomato, onion and chili, the mild sweetness of the cake offsetting the richness and heat of the sauce. Vendors keep the cakes warm over charcoal well into the evening.